Sidelines
by AnteNomad
Summary: Nida saves the universe. AU.
1. Liberi Fatali

The light was blinding.

Wincing, he blinked in an attempt to shield his eyes long enough for them to adjust. As he did so, his other senses began to climb towards awareness. He was lying on his back in a bed, in his day-clothes no less. And his head hurt. He frowned. What had happened last night? He couldn't remember.

Oh, yes.

He'd been training.

"How are you feeling?"

The light was fading, or his eyes were adjusting. He could make out an open window, with curtains fluttering lazily in the breeze, and above that a ceiling. Groaning, he moved a hand to his forehead.

"Ugh..." he said. "My head..."

"No kidding. I told you you should have gone to the infirmary."

"Ugh..." he repeated, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, so that the glare from the sunlight outside no longer assaulted his eyes. "Who left that window open?" he asked.

"You did," the voice replied. "Remember?"

He thought for a moment. There was a bridge, and a pair of plants with tentacles lashing out at him, then nothing. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I seriously don't."

"Yeah, you looked pretty out of it when you came back here. It was probably the poison, or the sleeping gas. How long were you fighting in there, anyway?"

"I don't remember." He frowned, looking to the source of the voice. A boy dressed in green casual clothes stood in the doorway to his room, watching him. "What are you doing in my bedroom?" he asked.

"Waking you up. You're gonna miss class!"

"Eh?" He blinked. "What time is it?"

"Late. Come on, hurry up! You wanna be late for the field exam?"

The field exam. Yes, someone had said something about that yesterday. That's why he had gone to the Training Center; to work in some last-minute combat practice. Which wouldn't do him much good if he showed up late for class on the day of the exam. He quickly got up and, straightening his clothes, hurried out of the room.

"Good luck," called the other boy as he shot past, left the dorm and began to hurry down the hallway. "Make me proud."

It looked like any other day at Balamb Garden; students without first periods were out chatting on the lawns and in the hallways, in numbers that might make a less spacious environment seem crowded. The Garden's wide hallways and large open spaces, however, seemed perfectly designed for the nature of its student body. The downside of such a friendly environment was that he found it rather difficult to maintain his sense of urgency, and his running pace unconsciously slackened to a leisurely jog, then a purposeful walk. As he came near the exit to the main hall, he overheard something about "Squall," and unconsciously started to listen closer.

"I heard Seifer used a GF on him!"

"No, that's not what happened! It was an accident with his gunblade!"

"Well, whatever it was, Seifer's gotta be in BIG trouble!"

"It was an accident! They won't do anything!"

"Still, they say that Squall might not take the field exam!"

"Yeah; I don't think he's even woke up yet! If he doesn't soon, he'll miss first period!"

"Has he even been to the Fire Cavern? I heard he was supposed to go this morning!"

"Who told you that?"

He walked on, frowning. As he made his way along the main hall, the Garden bells began to ring, warning students that class was about to begin. He quickened his pace forwards the elevator.

As he approached the stairs to the lift, he noticed a young woman coming in from the main entrance. She was probably in her early twenties, with short brown hair and a sleeveless, casual civilian dress with a green sash hung about her arms. She looked rather out of place in the Garden, and her expression showed that she knew it.

"Can I help you?" he asked, as she came near him.

She gave him a look as if she had only just seen him. "Oh! Well...yes, I think. Do you know where Cid would be?"

"Cid?" he asked. "You mean the Headmaster?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Of course; the Headmaster. I'm sorry."

"...It's okay," he said, not sure yet what to make of the conversation. "Well, his office is on the 3F, up that elevator. But you need special permission to go in."

"I see. Thank you." She turned to head for the elevator, but paused. "Oh! I'm sorry; what's your name?"

"Nida," he replied.

She smiled. "Nice to meet you." And she turned and headed off for the elevator.

Nida frowned, then shrugged and followed her towards the elevator.

-

Students were already beginning to trickle into the classroom when she got the call. She had been standing by the doorway, greeting them as she always did; but today she couldn't help but let her distraction show through.

The students hadn't noticed, however — they had their own preoccupations to deal with.

"Good morning, Instructor!" said one, fidgeting madly. "Um...everyone's been talking about the field exam. Is it really today?"

"...Hm?" It took her a second to associate those words with meaning. A second later, the phone on her desk began to ring, and she nearly made a dive for it. "...I'll cover that once everyone's here," she said instead, weaving around him and toward the desk. "Excuse me; I should take this."

"Hi, Instructor!" said another student who was just coming in.

"Good morning," she replied as she was picking up the phone. "Yes?"

"_Quistis?"_ The voice was Dr. Kadowaki's, which made sense as the call was listed as coming from the Infirmary. _"It's about your student."_

"Is he all right?" Quistis asked, absently aware that she was holding her breath.

"_Well, now..."_ She heard Kadowaki sigh. _"His injury's quite serious. He's still unconscious. I'm sure he'll recover, but for the moment..."_

Quistis sank into the chair, covering her mouth with her free hand. It took her a moment to reach the point where she trusted herself to speak. "...But he'll recover completely?"

"_Yes, yes..."_ Kadowaki probably heard through her carefully neutral tone. _"Especially with GF, he'll be fine in a day or so. But I wouldn't plan to include him in the field exam."_

"...I understand," said Quistis. "Thank you."

"_Sorry, Quistis."_

Kadowaki hung up; Quistis held onto the phone for a moment longer before doing the same. At around the same time, she caught a new figure walking into the classroom; he was immediately recognizable, even in peripheral vision, as he was wearing a grey trenchcoat with red crosses on the arms in lieu of his student's uniform. He headed straight for his desk, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Seifer." She stood, fixing him with a glare. He stopped, but didn't look at her. "Is there anything you'd like to say about the incident last night?"

Still nothing. His face was set in a harsher version of the glower he used whenever he was in a situation he didn't like and in too bad a mood to act bored by it all. As usual, she sensed that there was something else, and he was trying hard to keep it back; but she didn't really feel in the mood to decode this at the moment.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Take your seat." Seifer did. Quistis checked the rest of the room; and apart from that empty seat towards the back that wasn't going to be filled today, everyone was there. Kicking herself to get back into routine, she called up the lesson plans on her terminal before realizing that there wasn't one for today. Sighing again, she looked up at the waiting students, and put on her best Instructor smile.

"Good morning, class," she said. "Let's start with today's schedule."

-

** — S I D E L I N E S — **

_a FINAL FANTASY VIII fan fiction_

-

_**FINAL FANTASY VIII** and many related items are the legal property of Square, an organization that has absolutely no idea this author even exists. This story is fictional, unofficial, and created solely for entertainment purposes; if any profit is made through its display and use of aforementioned items, then it is made without the author's knowledge or consent, and is therefore not the author's fault. Duplication of this work without the author's permission and especially without giving said author due credit will seriously annoy him. This text applies whether you read it or not. All your base are belong to us._


	2. Balamb Garden

The mysterious woman had nearly escaped with the elevator before Nida could get in; she seemed slightly chagrined when she realized that he had followed her. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were going up too."

Nida shrugged. "It's okay." The elevator automatically began to rise towards the 2F, where Nida's classroom was located. "...So do you know the Headmaster?" he asked, feeling a bit awkward.

She frowned at him, as if she had already forgotten his presence. "Hm? Oh, yes. From a very long time ago."

The elevator stopped on the 2F, and the doors slid open to the hall.

"Well, goodbye again," she said, with a friendly smile.

Nida nodded. "Yeah. Nice to meet you." It was only after he had stepped out of the car and the elevator had begun to rise again that he realized that this marked the second time she had failed to give him her name. And he had failed to ask.

He shrugged. Well, it really wasn't any of his business anyway. He'd probably never see her again.

He arrived in the classroom just before the first period chime rang. His instructor, who had been standing outside the door with an expression that almost dared him to break into a flat run and see what happened, stepped through the door the very instant the chimes ended.

"Good morning, class," he said, walking over to his desk at the front of the room. "Well, I know there's only one reason you came to my class today, so let me get right to the point: yes, the field examination for SeeD candidates is today; and no, I will not be one of the instructors in charge."

A murmur arose from the class, but it was quickly hushed. For his part, Nida suddenly became very aware of his heartbeat.

"There will, of course, therefore be no regular class today," he went on. "Those of you who passed last week's written exam have free time until the test begins; meet in the main hall at 16:00. Those of you not participating in the exam or who failed the written test, will remain here for study hall. And please remember that 'study' does not involve online games or posting on the 'Garden Square'. Are there any questions?"

One student raised her hands. "Instructor Aki?"

He nodded. "Yes?"

"Will Squall be able to participate in the exam?"

Nida rolled his eyes.

"Hey, yeah!" broke in another student. Nida didn't need more than a second to identify the boisterous voice of Zell Dincht. "Like, so Seifer beat him up pretty bad, right? What's his punishment gonna be?"

"You'll have to ask Instructor Trepe," Aki replied, with a cold glance in Zell's direction. "But I will remind you that any gossip can wait until _after_ study hall. Those participating in the field exam are dismissed."

Nida and four other students stood and quietly filed out of the classroom. It was not until he was out in the hallway that Nida realized that he hadn't changed into his uniform, but Aki hadn't even noticed. Students were also leaving from Instructor Trepe's classroom, on the other side of the hall that led to the elevator. Nida considered heading down to the library or something, but first he headed over to one of the students who had just left class with him.

"What's going on with Squall?" he asked.

The other student frowned at him. "What, you didn't hear? He and Seifer got in this big fight, and Squall got knocked out. Seifer got hurt, too, but he's okay. Squall was still in the infirmary last I heard; he probably won't be able to take the field exam."

Nida raised his eyebrows. "Wow."

"I know. I mean, he's the one guy I was _sure_ was gonna pass. But then, I've said that about Seifer two years in a row, now..." He shrugged. "Well, good luck to the two of us anyway, right?"

"Right." Nida nodded and headed for the elevator.

As he stepped into the intersection to the elevator-hall, however, he barely had time to jump out of the way as a girl in a student's uniform bore down on him. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm LATE!" she said as she streaked past, towards Instructor Trepe's room. "Sorry!"

Shrugging, Nida headed on towards the elevator.

- - **- — -** - -

He took the elevator back down to the 1F hall, where he turned right and headed for the cafeteria; as he had the whole of morning and early afternoon free and had yet to have any breakfast, he was hungry.

A fair number of students who had a free period had apparently had the same idea, and there was a fair number of people in the cafeteria. Standing by the door, however, were three who looked even more out of place than the girl he had met by the entrance. One was a silver-haired girl with a patch over one eye, the second a tall, dark-skinned boy, and the third even taller with well-tended golden hair that fell perfectly in place, save for a single strand in front. He was scowling. None of them was in uniform.

Fujin, Raijin and Seifer. Garden's disciplinary committee. Nida paused when he saw them, wondering just how hungry he really was.

"SEIFER, DRINK?" asked Fujin.

Seifer didn't reply.

"Can I drink somethin'?" put in Raijin. "I'd like some water, ya know."

Fujin glared at him. "...IGNORE."

"..." Seifer seemed to think this was good advice.

Nida wondered what they would do if he went in front of him, but it seemed like they wouldn't get around to ordering for a while, so he headed for the counter, looking as inconspicuous as possible.

"Hey, so how about Squall, ya know?" asked Raijin as Nida approached. "Who'd have seen that coming, right?"

Seifer grimaced.

"QUIET," warned Fujin.

"Yeah, okay; don't wanna bring up a touchy subject, ya know? So how about that food, Fujin? You gonna treat or what?"

"RAGE!" Fujin kicked him in the shin.

"Ahh!" exclaimed Raijin, clutching his foot. "Ouuu...Ahh..."

Nida tried to be even sneakier. But even as he was almost at the counter, he perceived that someone was bearing down quickly behind him. He ducked out of the way just in time to let a blue streak of a student zip past him towards the counter. _That's the second time today..._

The student — Nida identified him as Zell — skidded to a halt in front of the counter. "D-Do you have any..." the student panted, "...hot dogs left?"

The cafeteria lady shook her head. "You're a bit late, I'm afraid. We're all sold out!"

"Damn!" he exclaimed. "Not again! It's hopeless if you don't get here early..." He shook his head. "Alright, I'll try again next time..." He turned and walked away, looking at the floor.

"I'll try to order more," the cafeteria lady called after him, "but there's no guarantee!"

Nida, Seifer, Fujin and Raijin watched him go. "...Speeding," said Seifer eventually. His voice was disconcertingly toneless. "Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations."

"AFFIRMATIVE," agreed Fujin.

"Roger, ya know!" said Raijin; and all three of them set off in pursuit. Nida raised his eyebrows, shrugged, and headed for the counter.

"So what _do_ you guys have?" he asked.

"Well, you're too late for all the first-day food. But we do have some leftover pizza from last Friday that's down to only one gil a slice."

For a brief instant, Nida actually considered taking it. "...No thanks," he said regardless. "I'll just come back for lunch."

"Suit yourself." She was looking wistfully towards the entrance. "I must say, being young is so great," she said. "It's like this burst of energy flowing within you constantly, and..."

Nida began to walk away.

"Although you can sure get yourselves into trouble sometimes. Like that kid who was just in here — Seifer. I heard he knocked out one of his classmates training. That's the sort of thing that makes me worry, you know? Especially for that poor boy who can't take the field exam now; it's just awful to have one's hopes dashed at the last minute like that. I have a son who's about your age, but he's so incompetent and..."

Her voice died away as Nida escaped into the hallway. It was a little funny, he thought, how the whole Garden had become obsessed with Squall's training accident; though there was a question nagging at the back of his mind, of whether, if he were the one who had been landed in the infirmary, anyone would even notice.

With that thought, he headed for the library.


	3. Don't Be Afraid

Nida found a mystery novel which kept him occupied until noon, at which point he ate a quick lunch and spent some time in the training center. At around 15:30, he headed back to his room to change into his uniform for the exam.  
  
As he was heading for the directory area, he caught sight of a blond girl in a SeeD uniform standing by the hall to the garage. Hi, Lauren, he said, as he came up to her.  
  
She smiled at him. Hi, Nida. Hey, you're taking the SeeD exam today, aren't you?  
  
He nodded.   
  
I thought so. I'm gonna be one of the SeeD participants, so I get to bail you trainees out if you screw up.  
  
Nida forced a laugh. He knew she was joking with him, but he wasn't in a particularly funny mood at the moment.  
  
Hey, relax, she said, clapping his shoulder lightly. I'm sure you'll do great. Didn't you ace the written test, too?  
  
No, that was Mike. I got a 97.  
  
Lauren shrugged. Well, that's still a lot better than what _my_ score was. She gave him a reassuring smile. Seriously. Just keep your head, and you'll do fine.  
  
He headed on towards the directory.  
  
The directory area was unusually crowded with students and instructors organizing them into groups in preparation for the mission. As he waited for his own name to be called, the clear, measured voice of one instructor in particular came to him among the general white noise. Nida unconsciously sought her out from the crowd, as most every student in the SeeD program was prone to do. She was barely a year older than Nida, although the manner in which she carried herself suggested a level of maturity closer to Instructor Aki or the Headmaster himself. With the same air of strict professionalism that she seemed to radiate whether or not she was actually on duty, Instructor Trepe deftly straightened her glasses and checked the clip which secured her golden hair as she rounded up the students in her squad.  
  
The voice of another, nearby instructor quickly captured Nida's attention; although he failed to do so with the instructor's. Nida, are you here?  
  
Nida raised his hand so that the instructor, who was indeed only standing about five feet away, would spot him.   
  
he said, blinking. Sorry about that; I didn't see you. He went back to scanning the gathered SeeDs. Tobias! Over here!  
  
When they had all been divided into groups — Nida with Tobias and Sara, two other students from his class — the instructor began to address them. I'm Instructor Garren, he said, as I think you know already; I remember having at least two of you in class before. He nodded to the two who weren't Nida. You three are Squad A; obviously, I'll be the Instructor in charge. Tobias, you'll be the squad leader. Congratulations.  
  
He nodded. Thank you, sir!  
  
Remember that teamwork is of the utmost importance; and your actions will be observed and graded during the mission. Good luck.  
  
Nida listened neutrally to the instructor, thinking about what he ought to be thinking about. If he tried to plan out what exactly he would do on the mission, it would probably be a complete waste of time because he had no idea what the mission would be or what would be required of him to begin with. But it was difficult to _not_ think about the exam, considering how important it was that everything went well. After all, two students in three who made it to the field exam didn't pass. For a student such as Nida, with a generally unexceptional Garden history, those were bad odds. As he'd been repeatedly been told by instructors who lamented his generally average performance, there was no such thing as an unexceptional SeeD.  
  
Everyone here?  
  
Nida's head jerked around at the voice, very familiar despite being one he rarely heard. Headmaster Cid, a middle-aged man with an ever-present deep red vest, was stepping in front of the Directory.  
  
It's been a while, everyone. He looked peered over his glasses across the assembled groups of students. How's everyone doing?  
  
No one replied, as they listened intently to hear what he would say about the mission.  
  
This exam will involve 11 members from Squads A through D, he continued. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are for real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace....Each of these go hand in hand. There's only one way or the other. He scanned the students again. How bout it? Are you still up for it?  
  
_Death. Defeat. Disgrace._ Nida was not feeling particularly inspired.  
  
You will be accompanied by 9 SeeD members. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do. He nodded. Well, that's one less worry on your mind.  
  
_Death. Defeat. Disgrace._  
  
Cid raised his arms grandly, somehow managing not to look comical. The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of SeeD.  
  
Best of luck. He nodded formally, signalling the end of the speech.  
  
Come on, said Instructor Garren. Our car's out front.  
  
  
  
The three students and the instructor boarded the Garden car, which immediately set off once they were inside. The rear of the vehicle was windowless and spartan, with only a pair of benches running along the sides to sit on. Nida began to feel a little claustrophobic.  
  
Hey, Instructor, said Tobias. Did they say on the news yet who's going to be in the Continental Hockey finals?  
  
Garren nodded. Yes, just before we left. Garden beat Timber 9-6, so they're going on, but the Winhill-Galbadia game is still going on.  
  
Well, I figured Garden would be going on to the championship, especially with the way Timber's been playing this year. What's the Winhill-Galbadia score right now?  
  
It was 5-2 when I left, with Winhill in the lead.  
  
Winhill?! You can't be serious!  
  
The conversation was making Nida, who knew perhaps a little more about hockey than the average Caterchipillar, slightly uncomfortable. He absently checked over his weapon, a spring-bladed combat staff. There was little he could do without actually extending the blades, however; and that would probably not go over too well with the car's other occupants.  
  
...but they have been playing really well this year. And after they edged Dollet out of the finals, I'll believe anything.  
  
Yeah. That was one hell of a game.  
  
It was about a ten-minute ride to Balamb town. Nida sighed; no matter what happened on the exam, the waiting was going to kill him.  
  
  
  
They were the first to arrive at the docks at Balamb, which were all occupied with the sleek blue forms of Garden's high-speed transport skiffs. Instructor Garren led them to the nearest one, and they climbed aboard, passing into the ship's small briefing room. The compartment was somewhat reminiscent of the back of the truck, although slightly more comfortable; a row of padded, armless seats lined the opposite walls and a conference table ran down the middle, with a monitor on the wall behind the head of the table. There were still no windows or any way to observe what was happening outside.  
  
Shortly after they were all seated, the ship's engine hummed to life, and Nida could feel them pulling away from the dock. Then for a few minutes, nothing happened. Nida guessed that they were waiting for the other students to board the remaining vessels; all the waiting was really beginning to wear on him. So when the engine finally hummed to life again, and the ship leapt off through the water with a speed that nearly caused him to slide out of his seat, he could not have been happier.  
  
Another SeeD stepped into the cabin. I guess this is Squad A? she asked.  
  
Garren and the three students all rose and saluted.  
  
I'm Tina, she said. And I'll be briefing you on this mission. Have a seat.  
  
They obliged. As Tina activated the monitor, the Garden symbol was replaced with a map, which Nida guessed as northern Raspberry shoreline. Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament, she explained. For the last 72 hours, Dollet has been under attack by forces of the Galbadian Army. 49 hours into the battle, Dollet was forced to abandon their positions within the city, and are currently attempting to regroup in the mountains. Galbadian forces have followed them into the mountains, and are hunting them down. A request for SeeD was made 18 hours ago.  
  
The display changed to a close-up of the city of Dollet, with a dotted line approaching from the sea. We're to make our landing at Lapin Beach, Tina continued, where we eliminate all Galbadian forces within the city and liberate it, A.S.A.P. Then, SeeD forces will proceed into the mountains and intercept any G-army forces attempting to make their way into the city; it's believed that the opening of a new front in the battle will disorganize the G-army until Dollet can mount a proper counteroffensive.  
  
SeeD candidates will be assisting with the initial stages of the operation. You, Squad A, will make the first landing and establish a beachhead by eliminating any Galbadian defenses on Lapin Beach. Once this is done, Squads B and C may proceed into the city, along with our SeeD forces. Squad D and one SeeD team will enter the city through the harbor, cutting off any Galbadian escape by sea. I'll say again: You will be the first ones off the boat. Your success is critical to this entire mission. There will be SeeD forces to back you up, but if they need to step in, you will have already failed your mission. Don't forget.  
  
Oh, and of course the order to withdraw takes top priority. We'll make our landing in 17 minutes.  
  
Nida wasn't sure what to be more concerned about. He'd read about Galbadia's invasion of Dollet in the news, of course; but he had never expected to take an active role in the battle for the capital. Certainly not as the vanguard for the entire assault force.  
  
He tried his best not to wonder if he'd still be alive in eighteen minutes' time.


	4. The Landing

_Control, SD-103 is in active zone, reading one-zero seconds to landfall. Mark._ There was a buzz of static as the radio message shut off, leaving silence in the egress chamber where the three students and Instructor Garren waited behind the large forward doors which would allow their exit onto the beach. Of course, _silent_ was a relative term, as the engine was humming louder than ever.  
  
Everyone ready? Garren asked.  
  
This is it! exclaimed Tobias. Let's do it!  
  
agreed Sara emphatically.  
  
Nida gulped.  
  
There was a jolt as the skiff slid to a halt on the sands of Lapin Beach. The doors swung open even before the ship had come to a halt, and Nida's inertia nearly catapulted him out of the vessel and onto the shore. He ran up onto the beach, and immediately looked for a rock to hide behind. They were already under fire from the Galbadians who were set up on top of the levee that normally separated the city from the beach and guarded against tidal overflow. A chaingun had been placed there now, along with a fair number of soldiers, turning the levee into a decent makeshift fortress. There were a few green-uniformed Dollet soldiers still fighting on the beach, but most weren't moving.  
  
A morter landed somewhere behind Nida, showering him with sand and sharp rocks as he dove for cover in a crater left by another such blast. The machinegunner on his transport had begun to shoot back at the Galbadians on top of the levee, and everyone else had managed to find some sort of temporary cover on the beach.  
  
_Fifteen seconds,_ he thought, _and I'm not dead yet. That's something, anyway._  
  
You guys the reinforcements? called one Dollet soldier, in between snapping off shots at the Galbadians above with his machine-gun.  
  
And there's more where we came from! replied Tobias. Nida! Circle around to the left and see if you can take out that gun emplacement! We'll move forward once you do!  
  
_Perfect. Just perfect._ Fortunately, edged out for his reply; he figured that following orders would probably be the best idea right at the moment, even if this particular order seemed designed to put him at the wrong end of a gatling gun. At least that way, he might get his SeeD commission posthumously. Gripping his bladestaff, he released the safety and extended the twin blades, and jumped out from the crater to make a flat run for the wall to his left. The Dollet soldiers generously chose to provide what cover fire they could, and another mortar exploded on the beach somewhere behind him; these factors combined with the protection of his GF and a good amount of sheer luck to see him reach the wall unhindered.  
  
His next step was to scale the levee. This was more of a problem; it was a wall easily fifteen feet high, and the only way up was via a stone stair that even the most stupid Galbadian on the planet would have under close guard. He could think of only one other way to scale the wall; and he was not convinced it would be very much better than the stairs.  
  
A wave of dizziness passed over him, as the adrenaline worked its way through his system. He could see, almost in slow motion, the other transports coming towards the beach, the other students of Squad A huddled down behind what cover they could find, the gun on their transport now silenced by enemy fire. Above him, Galbadians were coming to see where the figure who had sprinted across the beach had got to; he thought he could filter their shouts out from the sea of noise. He knew his time was running out.  
  
Sighing, he focused all his thoughts into the Guardian Force residing within his brain. He called on its power, reaffirming his grip on his bladestaff as he did so. And he jumped. With a force far greater than the strength in his legs, he shot upward, high above the wall. The surprised Galbadians looked up at him, but were too stunned to realize the threat before he came falling back down on top of the wall, cutting both of the nearest soldiers down with a single swing of his staff. Without even checking to see how badly he had hurt them, Nida then spun toward the chaingun, and threw out his hand even as the weapon was aimed squarely at his head. A bolt of lightning engulfed the weapon, and the operator cried out as he was caught in an electrical overload; both weapon and soldier fell silent and still.  
  
The rest of Squad A then sprang into action, along with what was left of the Dollet forces. The Galbadian soldiers, deprived of their fire support, scattered; some charged onto the beach while others retreated into the city. Nida realized that their commander, a red-uniformed man with an arm-gun, was one of the soldiers he had landed on. He was looking around for some direction to escape in, as he was presently exposed to every Galbadian within a few hundred feet; but before he found any, he was engulfed in the searing flame of a magic attack, which nearly caused him to fall off the wall. Instead, he returned the favor by introducing the attacking Galbadian to a bolt of magical lightning.  
  
Another mortar exploded on the beach, and Nida's balance became even more precarious. He made a semi-controlled jump back down off the wall, just as the next wave of transports slid up onto the beach. There was a Galbadian soldier hiding by the stairs, but he didn't see Nida until it was too late. By the time Squad B reached the shore, Lapin Beach had been secured.  
  
Great job, everybody! said Tobias, as he and Sara ran up to meet Nida. Our teamwork was awesome!  
  
_...**Team**work?_ There's still that artillery emplacement, somewhere up that way! Nida pointed in the direction of Dollet's harbor.  
  
That's not your concern! said Garren. Squad D is taking care of that sector. Captain, give your orders!  
  
said Tobias. Come on, let's secure the stairs!  
  
Nida followed them back up the stairs. The Galbadians had already conceded the beach, however, and were retreating into the city.  
  
Aw, man, Sara said. No one to fight! She looked accusingly at Nida. How come _you_ get all the fun?!  
  
Nida groaned.  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


After Squads B and C, along with the SeeD teams, moved into the city, the beach fell relatively silent as the sounds of fighting moved into the buildings and streets beyond. Squad A's mission, which had began in about ninety seconds of sheer and unbroken terror, had now stretched into ninety minutes of excruciating boredom. The Instructors set up their base of operations on the shore, although without any way to communicate with the teams save by dispatching runners throughout the town, there was little they could do to coordinate the mission.  
  
This is a total rip-off, Tobias complained. There aren't even any Galbadians to fight! What kind of a test of my combat skills is this, anyway?  
  
_Maybe if you hadn't sent me off to take care of them all by myself..._ Nida thought; but he didn't say anything. They were supposed to limit conversation during a mission, he thought; even one as dull as this one. For his part, Nida had had as much fighting as he was comfortable with, and was in no hurry to see any more Galbadian soldiers to fight.  
  
Just then, a Galbadian soldier appeared in the streets running towards them. He was unarmed, however, and carrying what looked like a piece of paper. Don't shoot! he called, as the students prepared to do just that. I've got a message for your commander!  
  
Here we go, Tobias muttered. Watch — this is a test of my, the squad leader's, judgment skills. To the Galbadian he said, I'll take your message. You wait here.  
  
He ran down the stairs and over to the command post. Nida and Sara stayed, watching the Galbadian, who looked very uncomfortable as he waited. S-so you guys are SeeDs, huh? he asked. You know, I thought about joining Garden myself, but it seemed really tough. Of course, then I get drafted into Deling's army, so it probably wouldn't have mattered. He chuckled nervously. Except I'd probably be a Captain by now if I'd gone through the Garden program, of course.  
  
No one replied.  
  
At length, Tobias returned with the soldier's original message and a new one. Take these back to your commander, he said. And hurry!  
  
The Galbadian nodded, and ran away back into the city.  
  
Tobias said, waving him over despite the fact that they only stood about six feet apart. Nida stepped closer. Find Squad B and deliver this message: All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 19:00 hours. Assemble at the shore!' Repeat it!  
  
All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 19:00 hours,' Nida repeated. Assemble at the shore.'  
  
Right. Now get going! Squad B should be waiting at the Central Square!  
  
Nodding, Nida set off down the road. He'd much rather be assembling at the shore than running alone through a war zone, but orders were orders. At least the streets seemed to have been cleared of Galbadians, and he could travel in relative safety. Plus, it wasn't far to the Central Square.  
  
When he arrived at the fountain that marked the Central Square, however, he immediately noticed a problem. Specifcially, Squad B wasn't there. Indeed, there was no sign of them whatsoever, save for a dead Galbadian lying around here and there. Nida frowned, not sure whether to head back and report or press on; but he figured that Squad B couldn't have gone far, and he could think of at least one way to find them.  
  
So he followed the trail of dead soldiers. This led him away from the Central Square, eventually across a stone bridge and out of the city. He thought it was a bit odd that Squad B would travel so far from their post, but nonetheless doubted that Galbadians were falling over dead with gunblade wounds all by themselves. He went on up a long, winding stone path that ran all the way up the side of one of the tall bluffs overlooking the city, passing well out of sight of the majority of Dollet. He was about to turn around and head back, thinking there was no way Squad B would go so far from their objective, when he spotted something different about one of the bodies up ahead. For one, it was alive; and for another, it was dressed in green.  
  
he called, hurrying over to the injured man. Are you all right?  
  
he said.   
  
Nida took a step back, calling on his GF.   
  
As the magical aura surrounded the man, he struggled to his feet, looking considerably better. Thanks, man, he said. I was wondering if anyone would find me.  
  
No problem, Nida replied. I need to find a team of SeeD candidates that might have come this way. Have you seen any?  
  
asked the soldier. Oh, yeah! They went up to the comm tower a little while ago. I warned them it was dangerous, with the monsters and all, but.... He shrugged.  
  
said Nida, nodding to the soldier. _What the hell took them all the way up here?_ he wondered, as he hurried on up the set of steps leading up to the comm tower.


	5. Starting Up

The path led up a long set of old, stone stairs bordered on one side by nothing but a dizzying drop into the ocean. At the top, Nida could see the tall metal tower of the communications facility, an old radio transmitter which looked to have been abandoned for years. But the path did not lead directly there; he found himself passing above the base of the facility, as the path continued to go up along the edge of a cliff. Sensing that he was coming near — after all, he was running out of mountain — Nida quickened his pace, hurrying up to the top of the bluff.  
  
The path leveled out so quickly that he barely knew he had come to the top. He was now standing at the top of a steep ridge, with the entrance to the communications tower on the other side. Up ahead, the ridge went down to meet the lower level of the bluff, and the path wound around that way to finally reach the communications tower. By the entrance of the communications tower were a trio of individuals, two wearing Garden uniforms and a third in Seifer's unmistakable grey trenchcoat.  
  
he called to the students; but they didn't seem to hear him, disappearing instead into the entrance of the comm tower. Sighing, he considered for a moment simply jumping off the cliff and sprinting after them instead of taking the path around; but he'd had quite enough acrobatic antics for one day, and doubted that he would gain much from having his legs broken. So he set off down the last stretch of path, wondering what it would be like to be stranded in enemy territory when the transports left without him.  
  
He reached the comm tower without much trouble, but dogged by an ever-increasing awareness of how much time his search was taking. The inside of the comm tower was a single large room, filled with machinery. In the center, a hollow pillar of metal girders ran all the way up to the top of the building, high above them. A lift on the near side of this pillar was just sliding back down to the floor. There was no one to be seen.  
  
_They must've gone up._ Sighing, Nida stepped onto the lift to follow. Just as he did, however, the lights flickered, and a hum indicative of machinery starting up began to rise around him. Then, a tall piece of equipment within the hollow cylinder at the center of the tower began to rise upwards, accompanied by a chorus of flashing lights. Nida had no idea what any of this meant, but he guessed based on patterns to date that it would somehow serve to make his life harder.  
  
When whatever it was that had just happened, had finished happening, the lift lurched into motion again.  
  
It was a fairly long trip up to the top of the tower; but Nida was saved from boredom by an ever-increasing cacophony of violent noises and explosions coming from above him. He began to wonder just what he had gotten himself into this time; and he was certain it wouldn't be fun.  
  
Upon arriving at the top of the tower, he found the three students facing off with an enormous flying creature with orange batlike wings, spindly arms, and a hugely protruding nose. A tremendous stinger extended from its abdomen, and Nida determined that the existence of a giant monster on top of the tower confirmed his worst fears quite nicely.  
  
Then one of the students disappeard another giant creature burst from below, wreathed in flame, followed by a tremendous fireball; which engulfed Nida and the two remaining students but neglected to cause them any harm. The creature, a great, horned demon with slightly feline features, now hovered high above them, and drove the fireball down onto the monster. It exploded into waves of pure heat as it struck, and the monster recoiled with an angry cry.  
  
Sometime during this sequence of events, Nida had fallen flat on his back.  
  
exclaimed one of the students, as he faded back into existence and the fire GF disappeared. _Zell Dincht. Figures._ What d'you think about that, you big ugly —  
  
The monster answered even before Zell had finished. Taking a deep breath, it created a massive tornado that whipped about them, penetrating even their skin and attempting, it seemed, to rearrange their internal organs as it passed through. Although farther removed from the fight, Nida was also less prepared, and the blast knocked him flat on his back once again. His foot caught against what appeared to be a remote control console; as he struggled to right himself, it slid between two slats of the platform and tumbled off into the sea below.  
  
complained a female voice. See if it has any cure magic! That hurt!  
  
Zell began; his body seemed to be surrounded with an orangish glow. Oh, _yeah!_ Take this! he shouted at the monster; and then he zipped into motion almost faster than the others could watch, pounding the monster with a flurry of blows far too strong to come from a non-magical source. The creature recoiled, but could not get away. Limit break, baby! Zell declared as he ended the attack, breathing heavily.   
  
The monster did indeed look impressed; it seemed to be struggling to keep itself in the air. Although with how small its wings were in proportion to its body, it shouldn't have been able to stay aloft in the first place.  
  
Oh, yeah? Now a similar glow was appearing around Seifer. Two can play at that game, Chicken-Wuss!  
  
As Nida watched, Seifer spun his blade about in an intricate pattern of wide arcs, which he thought _had_ to be just for show, then a green disk of energy shot from the blade and cut straight through the monster. This time, it recoiled even more harshly, overcome by convulsions and what appeared to be tiny explosions that slowly tore its body apart; and it collapsed to the ground, its form dissolving into sparkling dots which rose up into the sky. An odd silence came over the top of the comm tower.  
  
It took Nida a couple seconds to remember what he was doing up there. he called to Seifer, approaching the three. Are you guys Squad B? He didn't really have any doubts, but the thought did cross his mind as to how stupid he would feel if the answer was no.  
  
Seifer frowned at him. Yeah, that's right. Who're you?  
  
I'm a messenger from Squad A, Nida said, saluting. I have new orders.  
  
Seifer turned around, waiting expectantly.  
  
It took him a moment to remember what they were. Uh, All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 19:00 hours,' he said. Assemble at the shore.'  
  
Seifer exclaimed. There are still enemies around!  
  
Nida shrugged. Hey, I'm just a messenger.  
  
Hey man, Zell started, An order to withdraw takes priority! I don't wanna miss the vessel!  
  
Seifer threw him a look. That it? Or don't you just wanna run away from the fight, chicken-wuss?  
  
Zell tensed. _Don't call me that!_  
  
Seriously, guys, Nida said, glancing down at his chronometer. It's 18:30 now!  
  
All right, all right, said Seifer, indicating all of them with a sweeping motion of his gunblade. Everybody, you've got 30 minutes to get back to the shore. Better run! And he jumped onto the lift and started down.  
  
the other student exclaimed. Wait for us!  
  
He didn't.  
  
Who the hell does he think he is? demanded Zell.  
  
Why don't you ask him? teased the girl.  
  
Hey, you don't get it! Zell exclaimed. Seifer's always picking on me! I tell you, one of these days, POW! He punched the air.  
  
Nida rolled his eyes. He'd first run into Zell in a class three years before, and he'd been talking the same way back then.  
  
...So, hi, he said. I'm Nida, by the way.  
  
said the girl cheerfully. I'm Selphie!  
  
Nice to meet you, he said. The lift was coming back up. ...We'd better go.  
  
The lift arrived, and the three of them got on and ordered it to descend as quickly as it could. It was only then that Nida noticed the massive antenna dish that sprouted from the top of the communications tower. That is, he'd seen it before, but he had been preoccupied enough that he only now noticed it in earnest. Especially the bright beam of light that it was projecting up into the sky piqued his interest, in the four seconds before the descending lift took him out of sight of it.  
  
_Huh,_ he thought. _Pretty sure **that** wasn't there before...._  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


Groaning, Major Biggs slipped back into consciousness. He was lying in an awkward position near the lift, and his head was ringing. And he was really angry.  
  
His day had started to go sour the moment he and his squad had been transferred from the Armored Corps to assist with repairs on the Communications Tower. Apparently the necessary repairs had been more extensive than Galbadia had believed, and a larger workforce was needed. So he, had been pulled at the last second away from active combat — and the resulting pay bonus — to babysit a bunch of engineers and outdated machinery.  
  
Then a bunch of SeeD twerps had showed up and ruined even _that_ pathetic assignment.  
  
Ignoring the pain, he raised himself up and searched around for the control pad which had been wrested from his grasp by the sword of one of the SeeDs. Think you're so tough, do ya? he grumbled. Let's see how you handle the Black Widow, you little twerps!  
  
After a few seconds, however, he began to notice that something was wrong. Specifically, he couldn't find the control pad. He was certain he had seen it fall somewhere near the lift, but now it was nowhere to be found.  
  
he exclaimed out loud, searching frantically about for the device that would allow him to activate the mechanized combat vehicle. WEDGE! Where the hell have you got to now? He got no answer; and his mind dimly speculated that Wedge might be the identity of the soldier who lay unconscious against one of the smaller transmitters nearby.  
  
The exertion was making Biggs increasingly dizzy, and he could already feel himself slipping away from consciousness. His last thought before he collapsed back to the ground was of what he would do to punish Wedge for letting this disaster happen.


	6. Breezy

Nida and Squad B made it back to the transport without any further difficulty; the Galbadians seemed to have completely withdrawn from the city by now. Indeed, as they approached the beach, they began to see green-uniformed Dollet soldiers back on the streets. The SeeDs, too, had all but departed; only one transport, presumably that of Squad B, remained on the beach.  
  
Standing on the transport's loading ramp was Instructor Trepe, watching the four candidates approach. she called; the vehicle's engine was already running at standby.  
  
As soon as the four candidates were aboard, the large doors of the transport swung closed, and a deeper hum ran through the vehicle as it slid back into the sea, turning around and speeding off toward Balamb.  
  
What took you long? demanded Instructor Trepe. Squad A's messenger was gone for over an hour!  
  
Zell and Selphie looked uncomfortable, glancing at Seifer. He simply shrugged. We got a little sidetracked.  
  
Instructor Trepe let out a small sigh. I see. Well, I'll need full reports from you all on this, made individually. She paused. I'll start with you, Nida.  
  
Nida's eyebrows jumped at the mention of his name. He had not been in any of Instructor Trepe's classes, and she had always been so far ahead of him in the training program that he doubted they'd had any classes together as students, either. Couple that with the fact that many of his instructors periodically forgot who he was, and Instructor Trepe's apparent familiarity with him was rather odd. Maybe there was some truth to the rumor that her brain had been swapped out for a computer during childhood.  
  
Or she had been told the name of Squad A's messenger when his own transport had decided to leave. Nida almost slapped himself in reproachment.  
  
Instead, he saluted. Yes, ma'am.  
  
  
  
So by the time you found Squad B, they had already left the Central Square and gone up to the communications tower, correct?  
  
Yes, ma'am.  
  
Do you know why Squad B took this action?  
  
I didn't ask. My priority was to deliver the order to withdraw.  
  
Nida was in the conference room, alone with Instructor Trepe and a tape recorder. For the past several minutes, Instructor Trepe had been debriefing him about his actions following his departure from Lapin Beach. This was the third time they had gone over it.  
  
Finally, glancing down at the notes she had been taking, Instructor Trepe nodded. All right. Well, I think that's all we have for now. She switched off the recorder. Sorry I took so long, but yours was an unusual circumstance.  
  
Nida nodded, trying not to wince. Normally when he'd run across the word to date, it carried a rather negative implication.  
  
Instructor Trepe seemed to pick up on his reaction. But don't worry, she added; You acted according to your orders, so your actions were acceptable. You won't be held accountable.  
  
_Oh, good. So I'm not **sure** to fail, at least._ Thank you.  
  
She stood, saluting. You've had a tough experience, she said with a friendly smile. I'm sure it'll reflect favorably. Good job.  
  
Nida saluted and left, wondering just how much he should read into that remark.  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


  
  
Seifer was the last of the students to leave the skiff at Balamb Harbor. Naturally, Fujin and Raijin were waiting.  
  
How'd it go? Raijin asked.  
  
Seifer shook his head. All they did was get in my way. Being a leader ain't easy.  
  
asked Fujin.  
  
Seifer didn't answer, at least not loudly enough for Nida to hear. He and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee headed off towards the parking lot.  
  
Instructor Trepe stepped off the transport shortly afterwards. Good job! she said, stepping onto the dock where Zell, Selphie and Nida were standing. Frowning, she looked around. Where's Seifer?  
  
Nida glanced over to the parking lot. He didn't seem to be there, either.  
  
...Just be back at Garden by sundown, Instructor Trepe said, with a little sigh. You're free til then. She took one more look around. Ok, dismissed!  
  
Nodding, the three remaining cadets headed for the Garden car. But just as they did so, it decided to lurch into motion and drive off without them. exclaimed Zell, trying for a few seconds to chase after it. Not again, man! There goes Mr. Ego....  
  
Selphie shrugged. I guess we get to walk. The other two nodded; but then she seemed to get another idea. Heey, why don't we _rent_ a car? I saw a rental place when we got into town!  
  
Zell folded his arms. Are you paying?  
  
Selphie was silent for a while.  
  
Hey man, said Zell, you think we could stop for a second at my mom's house? It's right here in town.  
  
Nida paused. Uh...we should probably head straight back to Garden. _Wait...why's he asking for my permission, anyway?_  
  
Zell shook his head sadly. Let's go.  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


Nida couldn't remember a greater relief in his life than when he finally came to the steps of Balamb Garden. The mission was over.  
  
He was hungry.  
  
That was a stupid thing to think, he thought. Although he _had_ missed dinner, and...no, it was still stupid to be thinking about food when the course of the rest of his life would be decided sometime in the next half-hour.  
  
Zell stretched tiredly. Finally made it back....  
  
Selphie was checking the soles of her boots; for mud or to make sure they weren't worn through, Nida wasn't sure.  
  
said Zell, I guess we just wait for the test results. Til then, see ya, man. He started walking away.  
  
See ya! Selphie left as well.  
  
Nida sat down on the stairs for a moment, then lay down on his back to look up at the sky. It was very blue. He really _was_ hungry. Maybe there'd be time for a quick snack before they announced the results.  
  
Standing back up, he headed for the entrance. The Garden, at least, seemed just as calm and peaceful as he had left it; his experience in the war-torn streets and towering bluffs of Dollet seemed more like a dream, the farther he passed from the event.  
  
Just inside the main entrance, two other students from the field exam were speaking; and Nida, hearing their topic of conversation, stopped to listen. Neither of them noticed.  
  
Hey, did you hear? said one, whom Nida thought had been on Squad C. Looks like Galbadia's real target is the communication tower.  
  
But radio signals are useless, even if they get the tower to work. The other student Nida recognized from class, but didn't know which squad he'd been on.  
  
asked the first.  
  
It was on last week's exam, remember? How any form of communication using radio signals can't be used?  
  
The other student looked at him blankly.  
  
There's a worldwide signal interference, Nida offered.  
  
Both students jumped. exclaimed the second. Don't sneak up on people like that, Nida! ...Anyway, that's right: worldwide signal interference. It started without warning 17 years ago. That's why we communicate online, and use chocobos as messengers now. _And_ that's why there's no reason to get the tower up and running.  
  
Nida walked on. He hadn't given much thought as to why the Galbadians had been trying to fix the comm tower, despite the signal interference that rendered such facilities useless. Then, he thought back to that beam of light it had been shooting into space. Maybe the Galbadians had found a way to penetrate the interference somehow.  
  
His stomach took the opportunity to remind him of how hungry it was, and derail his train of thought in the process.  
  
Headmaster Cid and Instructor Trepe were standing by the Directory. With them was another woman whom Nida recognized as Xu, one of the seniormost SeeDs in Garden.  
  
Mission complete! Xu was saying. I think we did a pretty good job — the candidates are back safely, right? she glanced to Instructor Trepe, who nodded. Although we didn't realize the Galbadian Army was after the abandoned communication tower....  
  
We've just received word from the Dollet Dukedom, said Cid. The Galbadian Army has agreed to withdraw so long as the communication tower is repaired and the uplink remains operational.  
  
Well, in any case, Galbadia is out of there, said Xu. Though we could've made more money if they'd stayed and caused more ruckus.  
  
asked Instructor Trepe as Nida walked past. What's to be done about Squall?  
  
Nida didn't wait to hear the answer. He had meant to head for the cafeteria, but now he was on the wrong side of the directory. He thought about turning around, but then a new feeling came over him; he realized that in addition to the hunger, he was also very tired. And he wouldn't have to turn around to get to the dorms. So he kept going.  
  
Hi, Nida! The greeting came from a girl sitting on one of the benchchairs that lined the hall. She waved at him to accompany the greeting, and Nida's mind felt it necessary to note that the long pigtail that secured her hair was swinging like an odd sort of pendulum. He decided not to share this observation.  
  
Hi, Paige, he replied.  
  
You just got back from the field exam, right? she asked. How'd you do?  
  
Nida shrugged. Okay, I guess. They haven't told us the results yet.  
  
She paused, shifting her weight uncomfortably. So...I heard you ended up in the squad with Zell...didn't you?  
  
Uh, kind of. Why?  
  
Just wondering. Um...so...how do you think he did?  
  
...I really don't know, said Nida, wondering where this line of conversation was going. Why don't you ask him?  
  
she replied, a little more shocked than she should be. Um...well, I should get back to the library. Good luck. And she hurried off.  
  
Nida frowned. he said, though she was well out of earshot. Well, it was nice talking to you. See you around.  
  
As he watched her retreat towards the library, he noticed another encounter taking place not far down the hall. Sometime during his conversation, Instructor Trepe must have passed by him; she was now involved in a conversation with a slightly frustrated-looking Seifer.  
  
Well, you can say that, Seifer was saying, But you know what Galbadia was up to. We would've been heroes if it weren't for that withdraw order!  
  
Instructor Trepe shook her head. You were only looking for a fight, Seifer.  
  
Seifer feigned a wounded expression. My dear instructor, I'm hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student. A mediocre instructor like you will never understand.  
  
Seifer, don't be so stuck on yourself, said Xu, joining the two of them as well. You'll take all responsibility for leaving the designated area.  
  
Isn't it the captain's duty to take the best possible action? asked Seifer haughtily.  
  
Xu put her hands on her hips. Seifer, you'll never be a SeeD. Calling yourself a captain is a joke. Shaking her head, she turned and went back towards the directory area, passing by Nida without notice.  
  
Next, Headmaster Cid came up. After a few hushed words with Instructor Trepe, he turned to Seifer, as the Instructor left with a clouded expression on her face.  
  
Cid began. You will be disciplined for your irresponsible behavior. You must follow orders exactly during combat. He paused. ...But I'm not entirely without sympathy for you. I don't want you all to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves. He paused again. Nida got the impression that he was trying to say something important. I am....  
  
Headmaster Cid.  
  
Nida blinked. A faculty member stood now where he was certain none had stood before. Those guys had an uncanny way of getting around that did not seem quite natural.  
  
You have some business in your office, the man continued.  
  
Cid nodded. There are so many issues at hand here. Without any explanation, he turned and left. Seifer stood completely still, staring down at the floor.  
  
Nida was weighing the consequences of walking past him to get to the dorms, when the intercom chimed. _All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway,_ came the calm voice of the announcer. _I repeat: All students who took the field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway._


	7. SeeD

There were a good deal fewer than eleven students in the hallway when Nida arrived, and no more seemed to be coming. He supposed that many of the cadets who had taken the exam were simply so certain they had failed that they didn't even bother showing up for the results. Fujin and Raijin were also there, standing on opposite sides of the hall as if to ambush anyone coming from the elevator.  
  
Nida picked a spot near the wall and waited.  
  
Zell was pacing back and forth, hands stuck in his back pockets. he said, as he passed near Nida; then he frowned. You're that guy from Squad A, right?  
  
said Nida dully.  
  
Okay, thought so. Anyway, they said they're gonna call out names, one at a time.  
  
Nida acknowledged, leaning back against the wall.  
  
It was not until the faculty member emerged from the elevator that Nida realized that Seifer wasn't even there to hear the results. Xu's statement to him hadn't held much ambiguity, but it seemed a bit odd that he would simply give up on the whole thing.  
  
Was Fujin glaring at him?  
  
The faculty member looked down to examine a clipboard in his hand. he read. Selphie Tilmitt, from Squad B. Please step forward.  
  
Selphie exclaimed. And she practically skipped into the elevator.  
  
The faculty member didn't react at all. he said next. Zell Dincht, from Squad B.  
  
Ohh _YEAHHHHH!_ Zell exclaimed. See ya! He pranced off after Selphie.  
  
Now, the faculty member paused, and he brought the clipboard an inch closer to his face. he said, phrasing it more like a question than anything else. Then he nodded. Nida, from Squad A. Please step forward.  
  
The faculty member's attitude did little to convince Nida that his name was indeed _meant_ to be on the list, rather than being some sort of typographical error. But, his legs began to walk. He practically floated, dazed, into the elevator to join Zell and Selphie.  
  
That is all, announced the faculty member behind him.   


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


These are the three students that passed today's exam.  
  
Selphie, Zell, and Nida stood now in the office of Headmaster Cid. Very different from the rest of the Garden, the room seemed to have an elegant wooden style suggesting considerably older architecture from the rest of the Garden, although the entire far wall was an expansive window. Nida was very nervous; he had never been in the Headmaster's office before, and he still half expected someone to look at him and say, Hey, what's _he_ doing here?!  
  
Cid stood, and said nothing of the sort. First of all, congratulations. However from now on, as members of SeeD, you will be dispatched all over the world. He spread his arms in a grand manner. We are proud to introduce SeeD, Balamb Garden's mercenary soldiers. But while SeeD soldiers are combat specialists, that is only one aspect of SeeD. When the time comes....  
  
The faculty member turned to Cid, cutting him off. It's almost time for the meeting. Please make this short. He turned and stepped towards the three students. SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden, he said. Its reputation is solely dependent on each one of you. Handle your mission with care. Is that what you wanted to say, sir? Cid apparently didn't reply fast enough, so he turned back to the students. Here is your SeeD rank report!  
  
It was Cid who stepped forward to hand them the reports. As he did so, he whispered something to each one of them. He spoke in a hushed tone, and Nida's ears were buzzing a bit, so he didn't quite make out what he said to the others.  
  
Do your best, even if you don't stand out.  
  
Nida took the rank report and wondered if he should nod or salute or something; he didn't _think_ Zell or Selphie had done so, but he hadn't been paying complete attention either.  
  
_Wait...**what** did he just say to me?_  
  
If his mind hadn't been so late to pick up on Cid's remark, and if the speaker in question weren't the Headmaster of Garden, Nida just might have bit back some sort of reply. Yes sir, I _have_ been, thank you, seemed like his most likely option; although What the hell kind of advice is _that_? had a certain appeal as well.  
  
This ends the SeeD inauguration, said the faculty member, cutting off his thoughts.   
  
Nida felt a momentary rush of relief; it was over, and he could finally go back to his dorm and rest.  
  
Then he remembered the speech.  
  
All new SeeD members made a speech in front of the entire class — that would be for the students of both Instructors Trepe _and_ Aki. All new SeeD members' would include him.  
  
He had to make a speech.  
  
In front of the whole class.  
  
This thought preoccupied him all the way out of Cid's office, down the elevator and into the 2F hallway. He only noticed in passing that Instructor Trepe was seated outside the office, looking particularly despondent. As he attempted to determine what he could possibly speak about, his mind flashed back over all his previous public speeches during his time in Garden, all of which had produced an audience reaction of general Not Listening. So, he theorized, since the speech wasn't _graded_ in any way, it didn't really matter what he said.  
  
After seventeen years of suffering, he muttered, my chance has finally arrived! Soon, you will all cower before the force of my will, and all will be as my will will will it so!  
  
Then he thought back on what he had just said, and groaned. Shortly thereafter, he decided against that idea, because it employed far too many _will_s and was generally stupid.  
  
He was back at the intersection now, and he realized he didn't know which classroom he would be speaking in. He would look _really_ dumb, if he chose the wrong one.  
  
Seifer was still absent, and Fujin and Raijin had also disappeared, although a few other students who had just failed the exam were now present. And, leaning against the opposite wall, was Squall. A large bandage had been applied to the side of his head, though it was partially covered by his unruly brown hair; and a nasty cut stretched across the bridge of his nose, from his right temple down toward his left cheek. The fur lining of his black leather coat was stained with dried blood. Altogether, he seemed a particularly sinister figure.  
  
For a moment, he simply stared at the three new SeeDs, with his usual impassive frown. Then, pushing off from the wall, he nodded to them, and began to clap. Soon, all the others in the hall had joined in.  
  
Nida, unsure what to do, took a bow.  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


Quistis looked between Cid and the Faculty chairman, a tremendous lump in her throat. Cid's face bore an apologetic and sorrowful expression, whereas that of the Faculty chairman was hidden as usual beneath the large, yellow disk of his hat.  
  
Seifer's always been a problem child, Quistis, Cid was saying. And it's certain to Hyne that you're only the latest of many instructors who've failed to get through to him. So please understand that we're not attributing this situation with him to any error on your part.  
  
However, we have noticed a general degradation in discipline among students under your instruction, the Faculty chairman put in. They show less dedication to completing their assignments, less respect for Garden rules and regulations; and also, this group known as the Trepies' whom you seem to have inspired are an insult to other instructors and this institution.  
  
Quistis nodded, exerting a mighty effort to keep her face passive. Inwardly, she felt as if her stomach were attempting to turn itself inside out.  
  
Please understand that this wasn't an easy decision, Cid put in. Quistis, you're one of the most intelligent and talented SeeDs to come through Garden. No one has disputed that.  
  
Though Quistis saw that the headmaster was attempting to make her feel better, the Faculty chairman wanted none of it. It's the judgment of the administration, he said, that you lack the necessary leadership capabilities to properly function as an instructor in Garden. Therefore, your license will be canceled as of midnight. It's expected that you will have all your documents in order for the convenience of the instructor who will replace you for next year's class. Do you understand?  
  
Quistis' eyes were stinging; she was afraid that she would break down and cry right there in Cid's office. She hadn't cried since she had first come to Garden, so this was a particularly unsettling notion. Fighting fiercely to maintain her composure, she simply nodded. Yes, sir.  
  
Cid gave her a very sad, very sympathetic look, which didn't make her feel a lot better. Quistis, I'm truly sorry, he said; after a pause where she didn't trust herself to respond, he added, You can go.  
  
She saluted, turned precisely on her heel, and walked out of the office, making it all the way into the lift before she collapsed against the back wall, shaking. When she failed to select a destination, the lift automatically returned to the 1F; by the time the doors opened, she had managed to regain control of herself, and she strode out and made for her room. Her uniform was feeling incredibly hot at the moment, and she felt she had to change. Then she'd have to go back up to the classroom, collect her things, and make sure everything was in order. Taking care of all the paperwork would probably keep her well into the night.


	8. Dance With The Balamb Fish

It was after sunset when Nida returned to his room, hoping to catch up on the news and block his speech completely out of his memory. He found himself in an intolerable state where he was on the one hand ravenously hungry but too tired to leave his room for the long walk to the cafeteria. It was probably too late for them to be serving, anyway.  
  
It was when he noticed the brand-new SeeD uniform hanging on the wall of his room that he first thought of the inauguratory ball held for new SeeDs on the night of graduation. It seemed very odd that it hadn't entered his mind sooner; he'd for years entertained the thought of a grand formal dance being held one-third in his honor. Still, he was so tired that for a moment, he almost seriously considered not going.  
  
A feeling that died shortly after he decided to try on the uniform to see how it felt. As it turned out, it was about the first article of clothing he had ever worn that fit perfectly.  
  
Thirty seconds after this discovery, he was headed for the dance hall.  
  
  
  
Things rarely turn out the way one expects them to, especially when the one doing the expecting happens to be Nida. Rather than being surrounded by well-wishing fellow SeeDs, he found himself drifting aimlessly about the ball's periphery, managing at best to keep out of the way of the dancing SeeDs. A couple times, Selphie would buzz past him as she canvassed the crowd for volunteers to join the Garden Festival committee; and at such times, he made an extra effort to keep out of the way.  
  
Aside from a few waiters cris-crossing the room with drinks, there were no refreshments either; and as much as Nida didn't want to think about hunger at an event as momentous as this, he hadn't eaten since noon, and his stomach was constantly reminding him of the fact.  
  
Also, the events were not seeming particularly momentous, rather a simple replay of his entire life up to this point. His new uniform seemed to have done little more than alter his status from just another student to just another SeeD. Nida began to wonder if Cid's words hadn't been particularly insightful after all.  
  
While he was alternately lamenting his lack of recognition and lack of food, he was absently scanning the dance floor, watching the other SeeDs and instructors who were actually enjoying their celebration. It was here when he first caught sight of one particular dark-haired girl in a pale dress. She was notable at first because she was alone on the dance floor, standing still and gazing up through the skylight at the stars. Nida frowned at her for a moment; as she did not look familiar at all to him, and there were only so many girls around his age at Garden and in Balamb town. In that moment, she took her eyes away from the sky and began scanning the room as if she were looking for something. Her behavior was odd enough to keep Nida's attention for the several seconds it took for her to notice him as well. Cocking her head at him, she stared back for a moment, then abandoned her spot on the dance floor to begin walking straight towards him.  
  
she said, smiling pleasantly.  
  
Nida replied.  
  
She glanced around the room one last time. Can you help me? I'm trying to find Headmaster Cid. Is he around here anywhere?  
  
The headmaster? Nida looked around himself; he was fairly sure he'd seen Cid around someplace. ...Yeah. Right over there, by the window? He pointed.  
  
the girl exclaimed. Thanks a lot!  
  
And she promptly hurried off in that direction, leaving Nida alone once again.  
  
...No problem, Nida replied, though she was well out of earshot by that point.  
  
  
  
Nida almost jumped at the unexpected greeting; he wasn't at all used to getting sneaked up on. Still, he managed to identify the voice and preserve what dignity he thought himself to possess as he turned around to see Lauren standing behind him, dressed in a quite extravagant fur-lined dress.  
  
he said, able to restrain any reaction behind the twitch of a single eyebrow. Nice dress.  
  
She grinned. Thanks. It was my grandmother's, and it's been hanging in my closet for years; I figured I'd better find an excuse to wear it before the moths devour it. She clapped him on the arm. But hey, congratulations! I saw that job you did on Lapin Beach; you'll make a terrific SeeD.  
  
Uh, thanks, Nida replied. But shouldn't the rest of my team have, like, helped me out or —  
  
Nida, you graduated and they didn't. What does _that_ tell you? Lauren shrugged. You'll find guys like that everywhere. Especially working as a SeeD; we're the guys people turn to when they can't do things for themselves. So you'd better get used to it.  
  
That's encouraging.  
  
You get used to it. Besides, you handled it perfectly; obey the orders and complain whenever you get the chance later. She frowned. Why didn't you take the SeeD exam with me last year, anyway?  
  
Nida blinked. When I was sixteen?  
  
There have been SeeDs who graduated at sixteen, said Lauren. I mean, Quistis became a SeeD at fifteen. Besides, you were already helping me with all those advanced classes; you probably could have _taken_ those courses and got a better grade than I did.  
  
Nida shook his head. No way I would have been ready.  
  
better not do anything that sets you _too_ far apart from the crowd, right? Lauren sighed. Well, we're both here now, and tradition demands that the senior SeeDs have at least one dance with the graduates. She motioned to the dance floor with a mock-formal air. So would you care to dance with me?  
  
Nida, becoming slightly disturbed by the conversation, welcomed anything that could serve as a way out.   
  
The other SeeD extended her hand. Then lead on, good sir.  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


Doctor Kadowaki was working late as usual, and Quistis had been drawn by the lights in the infirmary more than anything else. She hadn't even consciously known that Squall hadn't been released while she'd been busy with the field exam and its aftermath. Nonetheless, she had made her way there, and Squall was indeed still lying sideways on the bed, glaring at the wall.  
  
How is he? she asked of Kadowaki, out of earshot on the other side of the room.  
  
The cut was quite deep, the Garden's doctor replied, And I was worried there might be a concussion, so I decided to keep him overnight. He hasn't said a word since this morning, though.  
  
Quistis nodded, not taking her eyes off him. Is it all right if I go talk to him?  
  
Of course. Poor kid could probably use some company.  
  
Regardless of Kadowaki's approval, Quistis was very tentative in approaching Squall, as she had no real idea what to expect from her student after his failure to complete his SeeD training this year.  
  
Her _former_ student. That was another thing she would have to come to terms with.  
  
I warned you all those fights with Seifer would get you into trouble someday, she said, trying to adopt a lighthearted tone — and failing quite thoroughly.  
  
Squall didn't reply. He didn't even move from his position on the bed, or give any indication that he was aware of her presence at all.  
  
For god's sake, Squall, she tried, more serious this time. You've been getting in fights like this ever since I've known you here. I know I've warned you that sooner or later, one of you would end up in here. She shook her head sadly. Why couldn't you ever just walk away?  
  
Squall shifted on the bed, but didn't turn to look at her or utter any sort of reply.  
  
Well, you're only 17, she said. You'll get two more chances to complete the training. Though you'll have to take the class with another instructor, I'm afraid. She tried to be moderately upbeat with that announcement, but the attempt failed. They revoked my license, Squall. Said I lacked leadership qualities, that I'd failed as an instructor. As of midnight, I'm just a regular SeeD again.  
  
Quistis didn't know why she'd told him this. Her first explanation was that she wanted him to know that he wasn't the only one who'd had a bad day, but she knew that was only a part of it. Really, she just wanted him to care. About her, or anything really. Or maybe she just needed to talk with someone. She didn't know.  
  
When Squall still didn't respond, she sighed and stood again. I'm sure you know this isn't the end, she said. Just...remember that.  
  
She turned to go, but paused as one last thought came to mind. Oh, in case you hadn't heard, Seifer didn't pass the exam either. He could still try again next year, but... She hesitated. I think this is the end for him. He won't ever become a SeeD.  
  
Those words sat very badly with her. Squall and Seifer had both been her students, and had both been regarded — by her and others — as having the potential to become outstanding SeeDs. Both had been up for graduation this year; and neither had passed. Quistis knew that this was the fourth time Seifer had failed the exam, so the fault could hardly be placed on her alone, but she still felt that maybe if she had managed to restrain Seifer's belligerent tendencies, somehow prevent the morning's duel....  
  
She realized that Squall hadn't reacted to that news as well. He still wasn't looking at her, but he had rolled over onto his back and was now staring at the ceiling. For the first time, Quistis saw the nasty scar that Seifer's blade had left. The healing magic and now-removed bandages had reduced the size of the injury, but it still was enough to make Quistis wine at the sight of it.  
  
After a few moments, when it became clear that Squall was still unwilling to directly acknowledge her presence, Quistis nodded and turned to depart the infirmary. When she did, however, she spotted someone else, a woman in a blue sleeveless shirt and green sash, standing quietly by the entrance. Kadowaki was not to be seen, probably off in one of the labs.  
  
...Do you need anything? Quistis asked hesitantly. There was something strange about this woman; she seemed familiar, but Quistis couldn't remember ever seeing her before. ...I'm sorry, have we met before?  
  
The woman hesitated a moment; Quistis thought she saw a slightly hurt expression. Do I look familiar? she asked.  
  
Quistis tried harder to place either the place or the voice. Both seemed to vaguely match something in her memory, but it could just be the news anchor for the International Free Press for all she knew. I must be thinking of someone else, she said.  
  
I see. The woman nodded, but her expression told Quistis that she might have picked the wrong answer. Nodding to Squall, she asked, Is...he going to be okay?  
  
Froning, Quistis now wondered about this strange woman's interest in Squall. She'd never seen much evidence that Squall had done a lot of dating, and she knew he didn't have any living family. Regardless, she replied, He'll be fine. In a couple days, he'll just have a nasty scar and badly bruised ego.  
  
The two of them stood there for another awkward pause, before the mysterious woman nodded again. Well, thank you, she said, then turned and left.  
  
Quistis waited another moment as she tried to sort out the encounter in her mind. Before long, however, she conceded to failure and headed back to her dormitory; one thing after another had piled up on the now former instrctor, leaving her more exhausted than she had been in years.


	9. Blue Fields

Nida awoke early the next day, once again to light streaming through the window and onto his face. He hadn't quite been able to get comfortable the previous night, as his bed was uncomfortably stiff. It was not his normal bed, either; although all of his other possessions had been moved in his absence to Nida's new single dormitory, the bed and its nearly rock-hard mattress had come with the room.  
  
Disoriented by the light, Nida attempted to roll out of bed but instead rolled straight into the wall as he failed to recall that his new bed was on the opposite side of the room compared to his old one. Groaning, he rolled the other way and nearly flopped straight down to the floor. Fumbling to get to his feet, he sighed at this inauspicious beginning to his first day as a SeeD.  
  
When he stumbled into the dormitory's living room, however, he felt a fair amount better about his new accommodation. The room wasn't substantially larger than that of the dormitory double Nida had been residing in prior to his graduation; but the fact that he had this one all to himself was a significant psychological bonus. Looking around, he saw that whoever had moved his stuff had even gone to the trouble of arranging it as well; even his books were lined upon the shelves, alphabetically by author. He spotted his first edition copy of _Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec_, neatly filed in the midst of his engineering texts about magic-driven machines, and determined that he would have to go through everything himself anyway; but for the moment, he decided he could live with it. His most immediate concern was with food, of which he had been deprived the previous night and was very much in need of now, so he changed into his regular clothes and headed out.  
  
  
  
Yo, d'ya hear about the field exam? asked one student over his breakfast, raising his voice louder than was necessary to cut through the general cafeteria chatter.  
  
replied another. I head Seifer basically did what he pleased, again.  
  
The first student shook his head. He never learns....  
  
I heard this time, he completely ignored all orders and went berserk, said a third.  
  
Oh, man. And Squall didn't even get to participate, right? Cause Seifer laid him out in a gunblade fight an' he couldn't go to the Fire Cavern?  
  
Yeah. So it's kinda Seifer's fault that neither of them graduated this year.  
  
Nida wasn't _trying_ to listen in. He didn't even really want to. But they were sitting at an adjoining table, and talking rather loudly, so he couldn't really do anything about it. Except eat quickly.  
  
Man, I see why he never passes the field exam. He's well qualified to be a SeeD, though!  
  
The third student let out a laugh. You should talk! You never pass the written test!  
  
And look who got cold feet during the field exam! retorted the first, angrily. So why don't you just shut up!  
  
The second student tried to defuse the situation. Now, now...Calm down, easy...  
  
The situation was not defused. I'm better off than Mr. Paper Test Boy here! Try makin' it to the field exam, why don't ya!  
  
_Wow, drama._ Nida wondered if those students had any idea how stupid their argument sounded. Fortunately, he finished quickly eating his food at that moment and was able to depart. In _my_ new order, stupid fights will be a capital offense, he announced, just loudly enought that they might have heard him. The second student did look at him oddly for a second, but Nida departed as if he hadn't said anything.  
  
As he was leaving, Nida caught sight of Zell standing in the serving line, looking impatient. Zell didn't notice Nida at first, but did see him as the other new SeeD was just passing by. Oh, hey man! he exclaimed. D'you hear? We're getting sent out already!  
  
Nida blinked.   
  
Yeah, man! Zell said. Said we were going to Timber. We're all s'posed to meet by the front gate. I'm goin' out in a couple minutes myself, but... He indicated the serving line, which he was now holding up.  
  
Nida said, nodding. He wasn't sure how long it usually was before SeeDs were sent on their first mission, but he hadn't expected it to happen his very first day.  
  
He left Zell to the serving line and headed back out into the main hall. Heading back to his room, he retrieved his bladestaff and had made it to the entrance before he wondered if he should have changed into his uniform. However, the glare of morning light shining off of Selphie's bright yellow overalls told him that he'd probably be fine.  
  
the girl called, waving and bouncing up and down to make sure she was seen. As if her outfit didn't reflect enough light to be used as a beacon for ships trying to dock. Isn't this cool? she continued as Nida approached. Our first SeeD mission!  
  
Headmaster Cid, who was waiting along with one of the members of the faculty, smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. For his part, Nida raised an eyebrow.  
  
You're not from this Garden, are you? he asked, certain he would have noticed someone with Selphie's level of energy bouncing through the halls long before their encounter yesterday.  
  
She shook her head. Nope! I just transferred here so I could take the field exam and become a SeeD! She looked around. It's really amazing! This place is _waay_ bigger than my last Garden!  
  
Cid chuckled. Yes, we get that reaction from a number of our transfer students. Glancing to the faculty member, he asked, Now I wonder what's keeping Zell. How long until we're off schedule?  
  
The faculty member checked his timekeeping device. One more minute.  
  
As if that were his cue, Zell shot through the entrance, skidding in on his hoverboard and nearly sweeping Nida's legs out from under him as he brought it to a halt. Made it! he declared triumphantly, adding Sorry, man as Nida picked himself off the ground after jumping out of the way.  
  
Selphie giggled, and Cid seemed slightly amused as well; however the faculty member was not. T-Boards are prohibited within Garden, he said sternly. Have you forgotten?  
  
Apparently, Zell had. he declared, laughing. Sorry! But hey, it could come in handy on a SeeD mission someday! Y'know, like a Rapid Insertion Vehicle or something!  
  
Nida wasn't sure if he was joking or not. The faculty member didn't care. We'll be the judges of that, he said, taking the board and turning to another faculty member who had appeared from somewhere. Confiscate it.  
  
The other faculty member did so, and the first turned back to them with an unspoken warning that the time for hijinks — whenever that had been — had now passed. All of you are members of SeeD, he said, but nevertheless, you're still students at this Garden. Furthermore, because you are SeeDs, you must set an example to all others and _abide by the Garden's rules_. He gave Zell what would certainly have been a very sharp glare, had his eyes been visible behind the brim of his large yellow hat.   
  
No one said no, so he took it as assent.  
  
Now, Cid cleared his throat. Well, then. About your first mission: You are to go to Timber; and there, you will be supporting a resistance faction. That is your mission.  
  
Nida blinked. If That is your mission translated into That is all I'm going to say; you'll have to figure out the rest yourself, then he was in trouble.  
  
Fortunately, it didn't. A member of the faction will contact you at the Timber Station, Cid continued; and now the Faculty member chimed in.  
  
This person will talk to you and say, the forests of Timber sure have  
changed', he said. At this time, you must reply, But the owls are still around'. That is the password.  
  
Nida involuntarily compared the briefing to the Your mission, should you choose to aid us scene in _The Timber Wolves_.  
  
Zell looked around. Just us three?  
  
said the faculty member. We have agreed to do this mission for very little money. Normally, we would never accept such requests, but...  
  
This time, it was Cid who cut off the Faculty member. Enough talk about that, he said. Although you'll take your orders directly from the leaders of the faction, one of you will be named the squad leader. He paused, looking from Selphie, to Zell, to Nida. Then again at Selphie, and Zell, and finally Nida again.  
  
Then once more, for good measure.  
  
...you, Nida, he said eventually. Use your best judgment based on the situation. Zell and Selphie, you are to support Nida and give your all to carry out the faction's plans.  
  
The three SeeDs saluted, Nida feeling slightly stunned. He certainly hadn't planned to be in command for his first deployment as a SeeD, _and_ he hadn't expected that deployment to come so soon. And he hadn't known that any of the Timber resistance factions were still engaged in activities, so he had no idea what he ought to expect.  
  
It looked like today was going to be another interesting day.  
  
  
  
Nida would have been happier if he'd been informed that they would have to pay out-of-pockets for the tickets on Balamb Rail. It was not a particularly pleasant surprise that they would leave the country 3000 gil poorer than he had planned. Selphie and Zell didn't seem to mind, though.  
  
This train is awesome! Selphie exclaimed upon boarding the passenger car.  
  
Zell shared the sentiment. A transcontinental railroad, baby! he said, grinning widely. It even runs through an underwater tunnel to get to Timber. Pretty cool, huh?  
  
Assuming Zell was speaking to someone other than him in particular, Nida walked over to the door panel and passed the key card through the reader.  
  
__ announced the computer. _Access granted._ The door slid open, permitting entry into the car; and Selphie immediately bounded past.  
  
I'm gonna go check out the front! she announced as she skipped down the hall.  
  
Zell went in as well. let's check it out, man.  
  
Nida followed Zell into the hall. As he did so, the train lurched slightly, and began to move. Through the windows that lined the side of the car, he could see that they were emerging from the station, and would soon enter the underwater tunnel that connected Balamb to the continent of Galbadia.  
  
Ahead of him, Zell had reached the door to their room. Yo, check it out! he declared. Looks like this is SeeD's private cabin...! He opened the door and began to step inside, but recoiled. he exclaimed, then charging forward. OHHH YEAHHH! AWESOME!  
  
Nida raised his eyebrows. Apparently, at least the room would be nice.  
  
He was not disappointed. The room was quite ornate for a rail car, complete with comfortable-looking bunks that looked slightly larger than Nida's bed in Garden, and a large, well-cushioned couch that Zell was busy evaluating as both a couch and a trampoline. Heh-heh, this is _so_ cool! he explained, while busily bouncing up and down in his seat. Man, they even have magazines here! He tossed Nida a copy of _Pet Pals_, which the other SeeD frowned at, then set back on the table next to the couch. This is pretty damn amazing. It pays to be a member of SeeD!  
  
said Nida, sitting down on the bunk so as to leave Zell to the couch and the couch to its misery.  
  
After a moment, however, Zell stopped bouncing anyway. Hey, Nida, you know anything about Timber? he asked eagerly.  
  
Nida nodded. it was the biggest commercial center in the world before the Sorceress War, because just about every major rail line ran through there. Then it got annexed by Galbadia not too long after the end of the War, and it's been under occupation ever since. That's always been kind of a touchy issue; especially because the Galbadians burned down most of the forests surrounding the place during the invasion, and those forests were a big symbol of national pride for the Timber people. Anti-Galbadian sentiment's always been really strong, but most of the resistance factions have been forced underground lately, and.... He stopped. Zell was looking at him as if he'd just leaped into a scientific analysis of of the First Coming of Hyne.   
  
Zell shook his head. Never mind, man. ...Hey, can I see that magazine again?  
  
Nida handed it to him, even though the table was no closer to him than Zell.  
  
A moment later, the doors opened to admit a rather disoriented Selphie, who stumbled forward to the couch and stood swaying there for a moment. I'm not...feeling well... she said haltingly.  
  
Uh, what's wrong? Nida asked.  
  
I'm really sleepy.... Selphie said, her tone more that of an observation than a response. Then, she promptly fell flat on the couch next to Zell and, apparently, fell asleep.  
  
Nida blinked. He was pretty sure that wasn't normal.  
  
Now, Zell was shaking his head and looking around rather dazedly. Hey...? Huh? What the...!? He stood up, alarmed, but couldn't keep up the enthusiasm. Somethin's wrong with me, too...I...feel...sleepy...  
  
And he collapsed to the floor, out cold.  
  
Around that time, Nida guessed that his day was probably going to be the _bad_ kind of interesting.


	10. Unrest

_Welcome to Pet Pals. We bring the latest pet news to dog lovers._

_Your dog learns a trick to damage enemies in this issue._

_Your dog comes to your rescue when you are in grave danger._

_It's called..._

_**Angelo Strike!**_

_As you dog lovers already know, walk with your dog to help him learn this trick._

Nida sighed. The magazine hadn't been particularly interesting the first time he had read it, and it hadn't improved any through its subsequent re-readings. Most of his attention had gone to staring at the magazine's inside cover, wondering who this "Angelo" dog they kept mentioning was.

Zell and Selphie had remained unconscious ever since they had left Balamb Station. Nida had checked their pulses; both were strong and steady, and by his best diagnosis they were simply asleep. The problem with this assessment lay in the manner in which they had fallen asleep, coupled with the fact that they wouldn't wake up. And not for lack of Nida's trying, either.

The train's intercom beeped. _"Next stop. Timber...Timber..."_

_Perfect,_ Nida thought. He wondered how their employers would react to receiving a SeeD team that was two-thirds unconscious.

"_Next stop."_ The announcer decided to rub it in. _"Timber...Timber..."_

Nida tossed the magazine back onto the table, deciding to try one last time to rouse his team from their other-than-natural rest. However, he noticed that the two of them seemed now to be stirring on their own account.

"Ughhhhh..." Zell groaned, clutching the back of his head as he raised himself off the floor. "Oh, _man_..."

"...What happened?" asked Selphie.

"You guys were in some kind of coma," Nida explained, not too helpfully.

"But you were okay?" said Zell. "Man...I was thinking maybe sleeping gas or somethin', but that would've got all of us..." He frowned, then looked at Nida suspiciously. "Unless _you_ were helpin' these guys!"

Nida blinked. "Helping who?"

"You know! Whoever did this to us!" Zell shook his head. "Nah, that's a dumb idea. I'm sorry, man. It's just so weird..."

"Hey, nobody's hurt, right?" asked Selphie. "And all our stuff's still here, so everything's cool with me!" She was not quite able to stop bouncing up and down on the couch. "Hee! I had such a nice dream!"

Nida wondered if the three of them might have made a better impression on their employers if Zell and Selphie hadn't woke up.

"_We will be arriving in Timber shortly,"_ announced the intercom. _"For those getting off, please be sure you have all your belongings."_

"But seriously!" Selphie persisted. "Sir Laguna was sooo cool!"

Zell frowned at her. "Hey, there was a Laguna in my dream, too! He's a Galbadian soldier, right?"

"Yeah!" said Selphie. "And there were these two other guys who were soldiers with him —"

"Kiros and Ward?"

"Exactly!"

Nida's attention had been caught a little after Zell's, but now he was frowning as well. "You guys both dreamed about the same guy?"

"Yeah..." said Zell, scratching the back of his head. "He was fightin' in the Timber forests, then he went back to Deling City to see this lady playing the piano, and..." He shook his head. "Man, it was _way_ too real to be just a dream."

"There's no way we can understand this," said Selphie; although she looked like she was trying to anyway. "Let's just concentrate on our first mission!"

"Good idea," said Nida. "...Yeah, we should be just about there now, anyway. We can report this when we get back to Garden."

"Yeah!" Zell slammed one of his gloved hands into the other for emphasis. "Here we go...Psyche yourself up, baby!" And he strode out into the hall.

"Whew," said Selphie, hopping off the couch to follow him. "Still sleepy..."

Nida took a moment to reflect on the developments so far. They hadn't even reached their first assignment, and already he had an anomalous incident to report. He wasn't normally superstitious, but this _couldn't_ be any kind of good sign.

Sighing, he left the room to join the others and prepare to disembark.

- - **- — -** - -

Compared to the massive form of the T-Rexaur, it seemed that Seifer's gunblade would be little more effective against the creature than a blunt razor blade would be to a human. However, the ancient monster's size was in fact a strong factor against it, as its lumbering gait and massive body could not keep up with its human opponent, who circled the creature with a fencer's grace and poise. Again and again the blade found its mark on the creature's tough hide, tearing the flesh and whipping the monster into a frenzy. Its massive tail lashed around, flattening trees, dislodging man-sized stones, and wreaking havoc on everything but the source of its fury, the combatant who stayed safely out of reach of all but the most glancing blows.

"Come on!" Seifer taunted, hovering just out of the monster's range. "Is _this_ the best you can do?"

Roaring a response, the T-Rexaur lunged forward, gnashing its teeth in a move that would have easily snapped Seifer in half had he not ducked out of the way at the last instant. However, displaying a brief flash of intelligence, the monster then swung its head to the side, ramming Seifer and sending him flying. By the time he had returned to his feet, the T-Rexaur was standing directly over him.

"Looks like you've got some fight after all," Seifer observed. "Not enough, though." Thrusting out his free hand, he caused a burst of flame to erupt about the monster, causing it to recoil for a brief moment. "Game's over now." He swung his gunblade in a rapid circular motion that seemed to energize the air as it passed through. "_No Mercy_."

The circle of energy that had gathered around the path of his gunblade shot out to connect with the T-Rexaur, burning straight through its flesh and sending the monster crashing to the ground, quickly beginning to fade out of existence entirely. Watching the bits of flesh and entrails evaporate from the blade of his weapon, Seifer smiled with satisfaction. Those wimps who thought the only way to handle a T-Rexaur was to turn and run just couldn't handle the pressure. Of course, it helped when the monsters were handicapped by a Blind spell, but he couldn't be blamed for utilizing every possible advantage.

As he turned around to search for his next unfortunate victim, the sounds of another battle in progress caught his ear. His attention was piqued when he heard the distinctive report of a gunblade firing, and the cry of a monster that he couldn't immediately identify. Curious, he set out to investigate.

The combatants were located near the heavy stone doors that prevented the monsters from spilling out of the Training Center into the rest of Garden. One Seifer immediately recognized as the only other student to specialize in the gunblade, but the monster remained just as unfamiliar. It looked to be some gigantic insect, hovering not far above the ground, above a small, round, heavily armored creature. Seifer frowned, and folded his arms to watch the fight.

Squall ran at the insect monster, swinging his gunblade at it with both hands. He had no finesse, Seifer thought; the gunblade was a weapon with a long and noble history, that ought to be wielded with finesse and precision. And here was this guy, swinging it around like an oversized cleaver. Still, the style seemed to work, and the insect monster recoiled in pain as the weapon sliced across its chest. Then, it struck out with a lash of its tail; but it didn't attack Squall. Instead, it sent the small, round, armored creature rolling towards him at quite a rapid rate; Squall ducked out of the way in time to avoid being run over, but that sent the creature careening straight for Seifer.

Never one to refuse even the most unexpected of challenges, Seifer had brought his gunblade back to the ready in a heartbeat — which was fortunate, as this was about how much time it took for the monster to reach him. With practiced precision, he swung the blade in a horizontal arc in front of him, taking a bit of pride in the fact that, thanks to his highly practiced technique, he could probably deliver more force striking with one hand than Squall could with both. His finger squeezed the trigger just as the blade connected, and the blast added even more force to the strike; the monster was sent rolling off at an angle, harmlessly away from Seifer. As soon as it stopped rolling, Seifer rewarded it with a blast of magical fire. After this, the creature quietly faded out of existence.

A few moments later, Squall succeeded in delivering the same fate to the insect monster, though in a much less theatrically impressive way. As its form collapsed to the ground and dissolved into the air, the other student turned to face Seifer, gunblade at his side but ready for action at any moment.

"What are you doing here, Seifer?" he asked.

"Training," Seifer replied. "What do most people do in the _Training_ Center, you figure?" He inwardly hoped it wasn't obvious that he couldn't take his eyes off the scar that ran from Squall's forehead across his nose down toward his cheek. "You sure you should be exerting yourself so much? You didn't show your face all morning; maybe you better just go back to the Infirmary and sleep for a couple more days."

Squall's gaze was smoldering, but he kept it under tight control. He'd become quite good at that, Seifer thought. "Haven't you had enough, Seifer?" he asked.

"Oh yeah?" Seifer had a few ideas what Squall meant, and he wondered if the other boy would actually dare to say it outright. That he didn't press him and attempt to find out was probably because his own memories of the previous day weren't ones he cared much to revisit either. "Well what about you, Squall? You ready to sit back and kill Grats all summer, or would you want to go after something bigger?"

Squall frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I've got plans, Squall." Seifer swung his gunblade through the air grandly. "I don't need this Garden, and I'm not getting stuck here while events pass me by. You still think that SeeD is the best you can do. You've got to learn it's just one way to get closer to your dream."

"...Your dream?" If only by his desire to know what the hell Seifer was talking about, Squall was hooked now.

Seifer shrugged. "You have one, don't you?"

Squall narrowed his eyes. "What's it to you?"

"It's about what you've got to do to make your dreams come true, Squall," Seifer went on. "It's not gonna happen if you just sit around here waiting for things to happen. You've gotta take action!" He punctuated the declaration with another sweep of his gunblade. "I can help you with that. I'll let you in on _my_ plan. We can chase our dreams together. You think you're up to it?"

There was a good pause after Seifer made his offer. Squall looked away, and his forehead disappeared behind his free left hand; Seifer could almost hear the gears turning around inside his head. He waited patiently for the other SeeD to make up his mind; his dream wouldn't leave before the noontime train at Balamb station, so he could give Squall a few moments to figure out if Seifer's offer was one he would refuse.

Seifer didn't need to figure anything out. He knew that Squall would never refuse a challenge, and Seifer had just thrown down the gauntlet. They would both be in Timber by the end of the day.


	11. Timber Owls

Zell, Selphie, and Nida disembarked at the newest of Timber's many rail stations, this one being open to the city's generally temperate weather. Almost immediately as they were stepping down from the platform, they were approached by a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, but was fairly short and dressed like he was quite a bit younger. Oh the forests of Timber sure have changed! he said, in a manner that made no secret that it was attempting to be nonchalant, and therefore failed miserably.  
  
Nida restrained himself from wincing at the poor acting job. Well, the owls are still around, he said, in what he hoped was a more reasonable performance.  
  
The man frowned. No, sir; it's, _But_ the owls are —' He paused, thinking for a moment. No, it's...nevermind. Please come with me, sir.  
  
By now, they had succeeded in gaining the attention of just about everyone within earshot. Most of them seemed amused, but still Nida hoped this mission wouldn't depend _too_ much on stealth.  
  
They were led across a small plaza to another set of railway tracks, and a platform reading, **GALBADIA**. A yellow single-car train, with a pair of grappling arms attached to the front and a paint scheme featuring a toothy, scowling mouth and the word along the side was approaching, and their contact felt compelled to hop onto the tracks and guide it in with hand signals.  
  
Okay, keep comin'! he instructed, as the train slowed to a halt alongside the platform. Keep comin', keep — _Ahhhhhh_! Look _outtttt_! He attempted to jump out of the way as the train continued to bear down on him; Nida guessed he probably would have done better to jump sideways off the tracks instead of backward. As it was, he landed flat on his back, and the train stopped a meter or two shy of running him over.  
  
Another figure, taller and about the same age as the first man, emerged from the train a few seconds later. What are you _doing_? he demanded. How many times do I have to tell ya not to stand in front of the train?!  
  
Nida suppressed a groan. He'd been in Timber for maybe thirty seconds, but already his employers were causing him to seriously reevaluate his decision to become a SeeD.  
  
As the first man was picking himself off the ground, the second took notice of the three SeeDs for the first time. ...That them? he asked in an undertone that failed to be anything but clearly audible.  
  
That's them, sir, confirmed the first man.  
  
The second nodded. Follow me, please, he said, stepping back into the train. Putting aside any concerns about being stuck on a train with these people — especially one sporting a glaring yellow paint scheme with shark's teeth and the word **_RAIDERS_** — Nida followed.  
  
Almost immediately after they had boarded the train, the door slid closed and the train rumbled into motion again. Their initial contact sailed through the door at the last possible moment, punctuating his arrival with a shouted The second man didn't even seem to notice.  
  
So you guys are SeeDs? he asked, frowning at the three of them. Nida could understand why someone might be skeptical that a trio of teenagers were members of the most dangerous mercenary group in the world, but considering the impression they had made so far, these people were hardly in a position to claim a monopoly on skepticism.  
  
He did not mention this out loud. I'm Nida, the squad leader, he said. This is Zell, and Selphie.  
  
Nice to meet ya. The man extended his hand with a somewhat nervous thrust; Nida hesitated a moment before shaking it. I'm Zone, leader of the Forest Owls.  
  
He went on to shake Selphie's hand, and then Zell's. Then followed a pause in which Zone stared at the SeeDs, looking uncomfortable, while the SeeDs waited for him to say or do something that would justify their presence on this train.  
  
...Okay, then! Zone clapped his hands together, apparently hoping to salvage some semblance of authority from the situation. Why don't I introduce you? Looks like you already met Watts; I guess it's just our princess then.  
  
Nida asked.  
  
Yeah, that's what we call her, said Zone. She's not a real princess, of course, but she's a real inspiration to all the Forest Owls. It was her idea to hire SeeD. I don't know where we'd be without her.  
  
Now Watts looked uncomfortable. Uh, it's the princess' nap time, sir,  
  
Zone was quickly sharing this discomfort. Ahh, man... His face suddenly lit up as he looked to the three SeeDs. Hey, could one of you guys go get the princess? He pointed to an exit at the top of a short flight of stairs. She's in the last room, up those stairs. Some of our other guys are in the room on the way. Ask'em if you get lost.  
  
Nida wasn't entirely sure how one could get lost on a railroad car, but he guessed that he probably shouldn't make too many assumptions where the Forest Owls were concerned.  
  
Say _what_? Zell demanded. Man, we're not a butler service! We're _SeeDs_!  
  
Zone visibly recoiled. A-Are you angry!?  
  
I'll get her! Selphie volunteered. I wanna see the rest of the train anyway! And she skipped up the stairs and away through the door.  
  
Another uncomfortable pause followed her exit.  
  
So hey, what _were_ we hired for, anyway? Zell inquired. We better not just be running errands for you guys.  
  
In response, Zone collapsed to his knees, clutching his abdomen. he intoned.  
  
...Are you okay? asked Nida.  
  
Zone repeated. M-My stomach....  
  
I'll get ready for the strategy meeting, sir! Watts declared, and disappeared through another door.  
  
A moment later, the train lurched hard enough to throw Nida off balance, and the motion was accompanied by the sound of a low-speed collision. What was that? he asked.  
  
Zone, who had recovered slightly, managed an answer. We've rendezvoused with our...er, that is.... He trailed off. Uh...Watts will explain it all at the strategy meeting...ohhh....  
  
Finally, Selphie emerged once again from the doorway. Nida frowned at the way she was clutching her forearm, and continued to after he saw that she now bore a set of long scratches that extended almost from her elbow to her wrist. Following her was a dark-haired girl with a black dress, blue cape, and rather abashed expression.  
  
I'm really sorry, she was saying. I hope you're not gonna hold it against... She stopped herself as she saw Nida and Zell.   
  
At about this moment, Nida recognized her as the girl he had encountered at the SeeD ball the previous night. She didn't show any sign of recognizing him at all.  
  
said Zell, thrusting out his hand with all the style of one of his combat moves. After a moment's hesitation, the girl timidly shook it. I'm Zell, SeeD from Balamb Garden. You just tell us what the operation is, and we'll take it on, no problem!  
  
I'm Nida, added Nida, unconsciously raising his hand to wave slightly, an action he often employed to make sure he would catch people's attention.  
  
Giving him a slightly odd look, the girl waved back. I'm Rinoa, she said. Apparently having had enough to do with her SeeD hires, she turned to Zone. Is everything ready for the meeting?  
  
Although Zone still bore a rather pained expression, he had raised himself back to his feet at Rinoa's appearance. All set, he confirmed.  
  
All right! Rinoa clapped her hands in much the same way Zone had done earlier, although it _did_ look slightly better when she did it. Let's — She was cut off by the yipping of a brown, apparently tailless dog who hurried down the stairs to join them. Rinoa immediately abandoned her previous train of thought. Oh, I almost forgot! This is my partner, Angelo! Angelo's really smart; she knows all sorts of tricks!  
  
Nida frowned. Angelo, like that dog in all the _Pet Pals_ mag—  
  
Shut up! Rinoa was defensive. It's a cool name, okay?  
  
Considering her hostility to that observation, Nida decided not to ask why she had given a male name to a female dog.  
  
Rinoa declared, again attempting to gain control of the situation. Let's go! We've got to discuss our plan! And she quickly removed herself into the room that Watts had departed to. Zone, still clutching his stomach, followed.  
  
Zell muttered, shaking his head. These guys really don't seem to have it together.  
  
Nida agreed.


	12. The Mission

The three girls were staring at him from across the courtyard. Squall knew this. He responded by actively ignoring them, focusing his attention instead on the shrubbery lining the edge of the walkway. His thoughts, however, were focused entirely somewhere else.  
  
_I can't believe I'm doing this,_ he thought. _I don't even know what Seifer has in mind. Why can he possibly want to go to Timber?_  
  
More to the point, he thought, was the question of why Seifer wanted _him_ to go along. And squarely on the point was the question of why Squall was willing to do so, even waiting outside the front gate for Seifer's arrival as if he didn't have anything better to do.  
  
Of course, he _didn't_ have anything better to do, but the point was more that he ought not be waiting around for Seifer under _any_ circumstances. So he wasn't quite sure what had compelled him to do just that.  
  
_I suppose I am curious about what Seifer's up to,_ he thought. _Could I be doing this just because I want to find out? ...No, I think there's more to it than that. Maybe it's just because he asked me. I can't just walk away, after all; Seifer'd never let me hear the end of it._  
  
Then another thought hit him. _Why **did** he ask me, anyway? Seems like he'd prefer the company of his posse' over me. What's he up to?_ He smiled. _Maybe I should ask him._  
  
And there he was. Walking out of the Garden with an extra swagger in his stride, gunblade slung from his belt and just visible underneath his ever-present grey trenchcoat, Seifer looked every bit the bigger-than-life heroic figure he fancied himself to be.  
  
Squall wasn't impressed in the least.  
  
Glad you decided to join the fun, Squall, greeted Seifer with a cross between a smirk and a grin.  
  
What are you up to, Seifer? asked Squall.  
  
I told you, Seifer replied. I'm chasin' a dream. I bet you'll figure out the rest quick enough, but I don't feel like spelling it out for you. A Garden car lurched up to them along the road leading to Balamb, and Seifer nodded. There's my ride, he said, heading for the vehicle. You coming?  
  
Shaking his head, Squall followed. This had better not just be some quest for glory, Seifer.  
  
Oh, it's not just' anything, Squall, Seifer assured him. The fate of nations will depend on what we do. That big enough for you?  
  
The door of the Garden car opened, and Raijin emerged. She's all set to go, ya know! he declared. Get ya to Balamb in no time, ya know!  
  
said Seifer, climbing into the driver's side. Tell Fujin to take care of herself. I'll catch you guys later.  
  
Sure thing, ya know! said Raijin. Good luck! We'll be watching the news for you, ya know!  
  
Squall got in the passenger's side of the car, and Seifer took off down the road at what was probably an unsafe speed. Are you at least going to tell me where we're going? he asked.  
  
Seifer laughed. You know, Squall, I'm just gonna let you guess on that one. I'm thinking you won't need too many.  
  
Squall shook his head. _Why do I always let him talk me into these things?_  


  
- - = **= =** = - -  
  


...So let's review, Rinoa was saying. This mission will have seven stages: One, sneak on board the second escort' two, proceed cautiously across the roof of the second escort' three, proceed across the roof of the president's car' four, uncouple the first escort' car; five, have the dummy car' and our base' move in after uncoupling; six, uncouple the second escort' car; and seven, escape with the president's car' and our base'. We have exactly five minutes to complete the seven procedures.  
  
The three SeeDs and three Forest Owls were standing in a small room dominated by a model railroad featuring a crude representation of the Timber-Galbadia rail line. A pair of trains were situated on parallel tracks.  
  
Nida raised his hand. Can we back up a bit? You guys want us to _kidnap_ the president of Galbadia?  
  
Zone confirmed. It'll be crowning achievement of the Timber Resistance! Our faction, The Forest Owls', will be forever known in the pages of Timber's independence! He was already beaming simply at this prospect. Exciting, huh?  
  
That wasn't necessarily the word Nida would have used. ...Aren't you at all worried that this could just provoke a massive Galbadian crackdown? he asked.  
  
No way! said Zone. They wouldn't dare, once we've got their president in custody! Galbadia will _have_ to listen to our demands!  
  
Nida shrugged. If you say so.  
  
Hey, what's the big deal, anyway? asked Zell. As SeeDs, it's our job to carry out the employer's orders! Those Galbadians won't even know what hit   
  
Although unsure exactly what those three sentences had to do with each other, Nida had to admit that Zell was correct in that SeeDs weren't supposed to question orders, regardless of how questionable those orders happened to be.  
  
said Rinoa. To decouple the cars, we need to mess with the control system that handles the coupling. I'll have a device that can read the access codes, and I'll relay those codes to Nida, who has to enter them within five seconds.  
  
This stuff is _waay_ too complicated, complained Selphie. Heeey! How about this? Let's derail the president's car. Y'know, hit him with a big log or something. Then we watch it crash and burn! Ooh.... The thought of watching a train crash and burn obviously appealed to her. So what do you guys think?  
  
None of the Forest Owls seemed particularly enthusiastic.  
  
...I think that would be an even worse idea, said Nida, before he could stop himself from indirectly ridiculing his employers' plan.  
  
What's the point of killin' him before abducting him? asked Zell.  
  
...Okay, that's all, said Rinoa. Everyone ready? Let's decide on the party!  
  
Gathering information is my specialty, sir! said Watts.  
  
Zone collapsed. My stomach!  
  
Nida would have sighed, but to do so would have severely understated the mood he was in.  
  
  
  
Hanging from a tether fastened to the outside of a train moving at 180 kilometers per hour did not improve his mood.  
  
Are you ready? Rinoa called down to him.  
  
Nida shouted back up to her. You don't really have to ask me _every single time_!  
  
Yo, the blue guy's comin'! Zell called.  
  
The code is... Rinoa began.  
  
And the red! Selphie called.  
  
Rinoa finished.  
  
Nida called, then realized that the better option would be to repel back up to the top of the train. So he did so, although he thought that a guy flying past one of the windows might just be more suspicious to the guards inside than a safety cord.  
  
We've only got three minutes left, Rinoa warned him. We've gotta hurry!  
  
Yeah, yeah, Nida grumbled.  
  
Okay, you're clear! Selphie called. Nida jumped back down and set about entering the codes anew. It occurred to him that the novelty of being a SeeD really should have lasted for at least twenty-four hours.  
  
  
  
The Galbadian soldier paused to gulp before continuing. Everything is in order, sir!  
  
The President, reading a newspaper that he had somehow acquired within the past few minutes, didn't respond.  
  
_Oh, well; I'd better get outta here before I lose another paycheck,_ he thought. _Man, I really wanted to be able to propose to her, but now I bet I won't even get leave until the end of the year. What am I ever gonna do?_  
  
He was about to turn, leave, and bemoan the sorry state of his life even further, but he noticed something odd about the newspaper the President was reading. _Hey, that's a Timber paper. Where did he get that? We haven't arrived in Timber yet._  
  
Then the car lurched backward as it seemed to connect with another car in front of it — which didn't make sense, as the train had been coupled hours earlier in the Deling City station. Still, the jolt was enough to knock the soldier off-balance; and the President fell right out of his seat and onto the ground.  
  
Where he remained absolutely still.  
  
The soldier frowned. Uh, Mr. President? ...Are you all right?  
  
I'm in a bad mood right now! said the President. If there's nothing in particular, I order you to leave immediately!  
  
The soldier's frown. Uh, are you — He stopped himself. I mean, yessir! Absolutely, sir!  
  
And he hastily exited the room.  
  
Safely outside, he permitted himself a quick sigh. _Man, this has been a weird assignment so far._


	13. Amateurs

said Zone. We've waited so long for this encounter with Vinzer.  
  
Nida asked.  
  
That's what we call him, said Rinoa. He doesn't deserve the title, President'! ...or a last name!  
  
Was that perfect, sir!? Watts broke in. Amazing, sir! You're the best, sir!  
  
said Zell.  
  
Your SeeD rank went up by 1!  
  
Nida blinked. ...Who said that?  
  
Rinoa cleared her throat. Well then. She nodded at the door leading to the President's car. I guess it's time for the interrogation.  
  
Nida asked. You want information from him? I thought he was a hostage.  
  
Rinoa looked at him as if he had been speaking in revisionist Centra.  
  
Leave the intelligence to me, sir! Watts declared, backing up against the farthest wall from the door.  
  
Zone added, running off into the conference room.  
  
You three! said Rinoa, pointing to the SeeDs. Tell me when you're ready to go. As soon as you're ready, I'll begin serious negotiations' with the  
president!  
  
This should be interesting, Nida muttered. He glanced at Zell and Selphie, who nodded. We're ready.  
  
Bring it _on_, man! Zell added, punctuating the imperative by slamming his right fist into the palm of his left hand.  
  
Rinoa paused for a moment, giving Zell a look that Nida couldn't quite decipher, but had seen many times before where Zell was concerned. Then the four of them went on into the President's car.  
  
President Deling! she said, folding her arms as she approached the man, still seated with his back to the door. His apparent lack of concern with the new arrivals seemed to throw Rinoa off for a moment; then she continued. As long as you...don't resist, you won't get hurt.... She trailed off, obviously expecting _some_ sort of response.  
  
And if I do resist... he replied, in a voice that rang as if he had swallowed a violin. What would you do...? Young..._lady_?  
  
He turned to face Rinoa, who jumped back with an unintelligible exclamation.  
  
Nida could take a fair guess as to what the problem was. He'd heard Deling speak once or twice on the news, and his voice, though hardly pleasant, was distinctly violin-free. ...Oh, crap, he said.  
  
Boo-hoo...Too bad.... The man stood up, swaying in a very unnatural sort of way. I'm not the president. I'm what they call...a body double. All these rumours about the many resistance groups in Timber...you pass along a little false information and they fall for it.... He laughed, with an equally unnatural manner. How pathetic...Seems like there are only amateurs around here.  
  
Nida was becoming more than a little concerned by this man's behavior. Rinoa, however, looked more offended than anything.   
  
The man who wasn't Deling lurched forward at her, and Rinoa recoiled even farther. Ahh...My butt hurts from all this sitting...Young...LADY...ahh...So what did you have in stORE for me had I resiSTED...? Why doN'T you teLL mE...  
  
Nida took out his weapon as the man's speech continued to degrade.  
  
QuiTE aMUsing thouGH...For beING such anAtEurs...!!! HoW daRe YOU InSUlt  
tHe presIDent!!!  
  
Then he lunged toward Rinoa. Zell jumped forward to intercept. The man ran straight into Zell, and promptly began trying to chew off his arm. What the _hell_? Zell demanded, thrashing about wildly as he attempted to get the man away from him. Nida quickly ran up and jabbed him with his bladestaff, which caused him to disengage.  
  
Are you okay? he asked of Zell.  
  
Zell replied, still staring at the not-President. What is your _problem_, man?  
  
he replied; then he attempted to eat Zell again. This time, his efforts were met with a sharp jab to the face and a kick in the abdomen, which sent him sprawling. This didn't do much to deter him, however; three seconds later he was back on his feet, and going after Selphie this time. This didn't work much better, as he quickly had a nunchaku slam into the side of his head. He staggered from the impact, but did not fall down unconscious like a sensible human would. aMusINg...tHIs iS AmuSinG!  
  
What is _up_ with this guy? Zell asked.  
  
Nida had an idea. ...I'm not sure he's so much of a he replied. And, uh...**Water**.  
  
The magic attack did indeed knock the an off his feet; but as usual, he bounced right back up. Although this time, he was shaking even more violently than he had been before, and his body was beginning to glow in an assortment of very odd colors. As the others watched, he transformed into a creature several times his original size, vaguely human-looking but extremely disfigured, with limbs far out of proportion to each other and very dead-looking grey skin.  
  
said Zell.  
  
  
  
  
  
Watts frowned, glancing in the direction of the President's car. That didn't sound good, did it, sir? Think they're okay in there?  
  
Zone looked worried. What could make a noise like that? You think there was some extra security measure we didn't know about? What if the princess is in danger?  
  
Well, there are three SeeDs with her, sir, Watts reminded him. They're trained to handle eventualities, after all. They'll probably be fine, sir!  
  
came another cry from the President's car, this time accompanied by some kind of explosion.  
  
The two Forest Owls stared at each other for a moment. ...I'll see if I can get some info on what's going on, sir!  
  
Zone felt a stomach cramp coming on. Watts ran out of the briefing room to the door leading to the President's car. When peering through the window failed to generate acceptable results, he stepped out and crept up to the outside of the President's car, planning to open the door a crack and peer in. However, as the door was automatic, it naturally slid open all the way as he approached.  
  
  
  
Watts ran all the way back into the briefing room, nearly crashing headlong into the door to the **_RAIDERS_** car before it could open for him.  
  
Zone asked.  
  
There's this giant monster, sir! Watts exclaimed. And it's got this huge arm and hand and leg and it's got these teeth and...uh.... He stopped himself. ...I'm sure the SeeDs have everything under control, sir!  
  
Zone's stomach made a very interesting noise as he collapsed to the floor.  
  
  
  
Ten minutes later, the three SeeDs and Rinoa had joined the two Forest Owls in the Briefing Room. The mood was not positive.  
  
Man, I can't believe the president was a fake! Zone said.  
  
I can't believe we fell for it! Rinoa said.  
  
_I can,_ Nida didn't say.  
  
Info, sir! said Watts, who had just arrived. New info!  
  
Before he could stop himself, Nida groaned. No one noticed anyway.  
  
It's big news! continued Watts. I found out the real reason why the president's here, sir! He paused for breath. The president's going to the TV Station! Security's really tight, sir!  
  
Rinoa frowned. ...The TV Station? Why in Timber? They can broadcast just as easily from Galbadia.  
  
Selphie also frowned. Heey...D'you think the Dollet communication tower has anything to do with this?  
  
What's that? Zone asked.  
  
It's this big tower in Dollet! Selphie explained. And it, like, handles communications and stuff!  
  
Zell joined in. It's the biggest radio transmitter in the world! But it was abandoned 17 years ago cause of the worldwide signal interference. But yesterday, all these Galbadian troops showed up and installed this new transmitter. Then we SeeDs went over and kicked their ass! Even though we weren't supposed to be there and Seifer was being an idiot an' disobeying orders again....  
  
Rinoa said.  
  
Ohhhh...I get it... Zone introspected. The only TV station that can handle broadcasts over the air is in Timber. Other stations use HD cable, which only supports online broadcasting.  
  
So, what's that supposed to mean? Rinoa asked.  
  
They're gonna send a signal using radio waves? Nida asked. What for?  
  
If they do that, they can transmit images to regions with cable, said Zone.  
  
Well, yeah, said Nida. But —  
  
I know that...! Rinoa interrupted. What I want to know is, what is the president going to broadcast!? And why use radio waves?  
  
Well, so they can get to regions w — Nida began.  
  
There must be something they want to say to the whole world, Rinoa mused, interrupting again. What can it be?  
  
Selphie had an idea. Everybody! Love and Peace!'  
  
said everyone else.  
  
If I remember correctly, said Zone, radio waves haven't been used in 17 years.  
  
said Nida. The Galbadians must have some new technology that can cut through the signal interference. I guess if they had some ultra-high frequency transmitter, but it'd need some really powerful boosters in order to.... He trailed off, as he realized that everyone else in the room was staring at him.  
  
...Wouldn't it be wonderful if the first broadcast could be the declaration of Timber's independence? Rinoa asked.  
  
said Zone. That might be possible.  
  
Let's come up with a plan then! said Rinoa, adding Can you guys give us a minute? to the SeeDs. Then she, Watts, and Zone squatted down together on the floor, whispering to each other.  
  
...Can we go home now? Selphie asked, after about a minute and a half had passed.  
  
That'd be nice, Nida agreed. Something tells me our deployment was supposed to last a bit longer than six hours.  
  
Hey, what about our contract? persisted Selphie. Shouldn't we check it?  
  
Nida shrugged. Might as well. He approached the three Forest Owls. Uh...excuse me?  
  
Rinoa jumped up. Oh, good timing! We've come up with a plan!  
  
They call _that_ a strategy meeting? muttered Zell. Nida heard him, but Rinoa didn't seem to.  
  
Nida said, can we see the deployment contract you made with Garden?"  
  
Rinoa shrugged. Oh, sure. She produced a folder and handed it to Nida.  
  
asked Selphie, short moments after he'd started to read it. What's it say?  
  
Nida sighed. Balamb Garden' (hereafter referred to as Party A') acknowledges The Forest Owls' (hereafter referred to as Party B') as the hiring party. SeeD (hereafter referred to as Party C') shall be dispatched upon signing of this contract. Party C shall operate under the supervision of Party B, performing missions at Party B's discretion until such time as the conditions detailed in Section IV are met, or such time as Party C ceases to be a viable unit (See Section V). Party A does reserve the right to recall Party C in the event of extraordinary circumstances (See Section VI), but assures party B that such action will not be taken without proper advance notification, and compensation will be offered by whatever options are available (See Section VII). Party B agrees that Party C will not be used in any way inconsistent with the Terms of Deployment (See Section II) or knowingly damage Party A's reputation (See Section III). Failure to comply with any of the terms of this contract by either party will re —  
  
Wait wait wait wait wait wait _wait_! Zell exclaimed, interrupting. The hell's all _that_ supposed to mean?  
  
I don't get it, Selphie agreed.  
  
Well, so far it's just basic preliminary stuff, said Nida. I've still got to check the Terms of Deployment before —  
  
Zell interrupted. Man, you're out of your _mind_!  
  
Yeah, that one's pretty confusing, said Rinoa. When I told Cid I didn't understand, he gave me a different one. She produced another contract. As Nida was still reading the first one, she handed it to Selphie. He's such a nice man.  
  
What's this one say? Zell asked.  
  
Selphie cleared her throat. To the Forest Owls. This SeeD deployment contract will last until Timber achieves independence. Please make good use of each SeeD member. I wish you the best with your objective. Please understand that this contract is an exception, and no replacement of any SeeD members can be made. Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer.'  
  
Until Timber's independence!? Zell exclaimed.  
  
Selphie complained. That is _soooo_ vague!  
  
Nida frowned. Well, in this one it says —  
  
Hey, you're paid professionals, Rinoa interrupted. No complaining!  
  
Nida sighed. She's got a point, he said. Still, he went on reading the contract. Oh, _that_'s how they determine our pay.  
  
Ok, let's decide on the parties!  
  
Gathering information is my specialty, sir! Watts ran away.  
  
Zone collapsed. OuuuucHHHHH......My stomach!  
  
...Do they do this all the time? Nida asked.  
  
Rinoa nodded. Pretty much, yeah. ...So! Of the 4 of us, the ones who'll be heading to the TV station will be....  
  
Here we go again, Zell muttered.


	14. Martial Law

Can I see your ID, sir? asked the Galbadian soldier as Squall and Seifer stepped off the train in Timber.  
  
Sure thing, Seifer replied, handing over his ID card in a quick, nonchalant motion. What's a soldier like you playing usher for, anyway? Budget cuts back home or what?  
  
Most of the soldier's face was hidden behind the faceplate of his helmet, but Squall got the distinct impression that he was glowering. Security concerns, he replied. Had some trouble with one of the resistance factions earlier today. We've got it under control, though. He waved them through. Carry on.  
  
And they did so. Under control,' Seifer scoffed. These Galbadians wouldn't know a threat until it was standing there pointing a gun to their head. So they just arrest everybody who looks even halfway suspicious, and _still_ they can't get the right guys. He shook his head.   
  
What are we doing here? Rarely was Squall in much of a mood to put up with Seifer's rants, quips or insights. And at the moment, he was not.  
  
Seifer grinned at him, a gesture that made Squall reflexively grit his teeth. What's the matter, Squall? Having second thoughts?  
  
I don't even know what to have second thoughts _about_, said Squall. What did we come to Timber for? Why'd you bring me, but not Fujin and Raijin? Right now, I don't know anything.  
  
_I shouldn't have said that out loud,_ he thought, a few seconds too late.  
  
Grinning wider, Seifer set off down the road, compelling Squall to fall into step. How much do you know about Timber, Squall?  
  
Squall nearly rolled his eyes. Yes, of course Seifer would make him jump through hoops before revealing anything. It's a city in Galbadia, he said, uninformatively.  
  
Not bad, said Seifer. I can see you didn't have any problems on the written exam. Try this one, though: Timber's a city _occupied_ by Galbadia. Been that way since the Sorceress War, and most of the resistance has been stamped out or pushed underground. Not all of it, though.  
  
You've come here to help the resistance factions? asked Squall.  
  
Getting warmer. Seifer had come up upon a station for one of the elevated trains that ran through the city of Timber, only to find Galbadian soldiers blocking off entry. Hey, what's going on? he asked of them.  
  
All trains within the city have been shut down for the duration of President Deling's visit, replied the soldier, in response to his attempted capture on the railroad.  
  
Squall frowned. _President Deling? Visit?_  
  
said Seifer, turning back to Squall. Okay, looks like we're walking.  
  
The gears were running in Squall's head by this point, but their end product was such that it still gave him pause. he began, once they were out of earshot of the soldiers. Are you planning to do something to the President of Galbadia?  
  
Seifer just grinned.  


- - = **= =** = - -

The Forest Owls' train stopped at the same platform where the SeeDs had boarded, to permit Nida, Zell and Rinoa to disembark. Watts accompanied them onto the platform, relating info.  
  
he exclaimed. I remember now, sir! I think the TV Station is located behind a building called Timber Maniacs!' Please head in that direction, sir; I hope you find it!  
  
said Nida, looking around. So which direction would that b—  
  
Zone called from aboard the train. _C'mon_! The Galbadian soldiers are comin'! To emphasize their hurry, the train began to creep away from the platform.  
  
Lots of guards patrolling the city now! said Watts, oblivious as the train picked up speed without him. Please be careful, sir!  
  
Nida began, watching as the train rolled away.  
  
Seems like the hotel's not available, either! Watts continued. Should you need to recover, use the Owl's Tear', sir! Heard it works wonders!  
  
Yeah, okay, but... Nida paused. ...The what?  
  
I believe you can find it at the old man's house... said Watts, unhelpfully. ...I guess you won't be needing it anyway. You're all SeeDs; you'll be fine, right, sir?  
  
Well, —  
  
Watts finally noticed that the Forest Owls' train was no longer at the platform. Don't leave me, sirrrr! he called, sprinting after the bright yellow engine that was disappearing into the distance.  
  
said Nida. Shrugging, he took note of the surrounding city, which seemed to extend to the horizon in almost every direction. So now we have to find the Timber Maniacs building.  
  
I think it's just across that bridge, said Rinoa, pointing to a pedestrian bridge at the opposite end of the square.  
  
Nida raised his eyebrows. Oh. Well, that's convenient.  
  
They set off in the direction of the bridge. ...So what's the deal with you guys, anyway? asked Zell. I mean, is your whole resistance just the guys on that train, or what?  
  
The Forest Owls' aren't the biggest resistance around, Rinoa admitted. Almost everybody in Timber belongs to some faction. But most of them have gone underground, and aren't taking action. She puffed up with determination, without actually looking very dramatic. But we're not willing to stop fighting for Timber's independence; not until Galbadia leaves this country once and for all!  
  
You really think you can singlehandedly fight off the entire Galbadian military? asked Nida.  
  
It doesn't matter how _many_ of us there are, said Rinoa. What matters is how dedicated we are to the cause! And _no one_ believes more in Timber's independence than the Forest Owls! They were walking past a pair of Galbadian soldiers, though Rinoa didn't notice them until she had completed her declaration. When she did, she let out a little yelp and reflexively hid behind Zell.  
  
What was that she said? asked one of the soldiers.  
  
Uh, we were just...talking, said Nida. About the...attempted kidnapping. It occurred to him a moment later that the Galbadians might not have broadcasted news about the attempt and so maybe he shouldn't have admitted to knowledge of it; but maybe these soldiers wouldn't figure that out.  
  
She said something about said the other soldier. What's your business in town?  
  
said Nida.   
  
said Zell. And we're visiting relatives! Loyal patriotic unionist Galbadian relatives who don't support the Timber resistance at all! Nida motioned to Zell to tone it down a bit; but he didn't seem to notice.  
  
There's something suspicious about these three, said the second soldier. We'd better report it.  
  
The next thing Nida knew, Rinoa had produced some sort of boomerang-gun and fired it directly into the first man's armored chest. You'll never take our freedom! she exclaimed.  
  
Wincing at the prospect of a very public fight with a pair of Galbadians, Nida quickly drew his bladestaff and drove it into the first soldier's gut. The second soldier brought up his sword, but Zell was upon him before he could take action with it. Opening with a high kick to the side, Zell immediately put the soldier on the defensive; the Galbadian responded with a wild swing of his blade which Zell dodged expertly, then he caught the man's right arm with his left hand, twisted the blade out of the soldier's hand, and flipped him onto his back. He then drove his fist into the man's jaw, which either knocked him unconscious or broke his neck; it was hard to say which. The whole engagement lasted about thirteen seconds.  
  
When it ended, Nida quickly looked around to see if anyone was rushing to raise the alarm, or kill them, or cause a general panic, or otherwise make his life more difficult than it really needed to be. What he saw, however, was little evidence that the local people had noticed the fight at all; and those who had been watching seemed to be smiling and nodding with approval. Beating up Galbadian soldiers didn't seem to be a particularly serious offense in the eyes of the locals; so Nida reasoned that as long as they could exit the scene quietly before any other troops arrived....  
  
exclaimed Zell loudly. Who d'these Galbadians think they are, anyway? We got a _right_ to walk around where we want, don't we?  
  
Nida winced. Technically, we don't, he said. Martial law and all. We should probably vacate the scene before the Galbadians come looking for these guys.  
  
We could hide out somewhere! Rinoa suggested. I think I know that house; that's the Forest Fox's base! Here she pointed at a very normal-looking, two-story house near the Timber Maniacs Building. I bet they'd be willing to help us!  
  
said Nida, sighing. Why not?  
  
Rinoa said, leading the way. Maybe they'll make us some lunch too; I'm getting kinda hungry....  
  
Hey, yeah! Zell exclaimed. Actually, d'you think there's any restaurants around? Don't hot dogs come from Timber, or someplace round here?  
  
Reflecting on how easily he could have just become a librarian, Nida followed.


	15. Find Your Way

"Hi, Rinoa," greeted the leader of the Forest Fox — who looked very much like an ordinary middle-aged homemaker — as Rinoa, Zell and Nida stepped into that faction's secret base — which looked very much like an ordinary pre-colonial Lanker kitchen. "Oh, was that you who they're saying tried to kidnap Deling? I'm impressed."

"We almost had him, too!" Rinoa lamented. "But now we've gotta get to the TV station. He's gonna make a big announcement soon, but we've got a better idea! We want to broadcast an announcement of our own, declaring Timber's independence!"

"Hey, what's going on?" asked what could be either a member of the Forest Fox or simply the woman's teenage daughter, descending the stairs and appraising the new arrivals.

"The Forest Owls have a plan to declare the independence of Timber," replied the older woman. "Speaking of which, Rinoa, I don't recognize your friends. Are they new recruits?"

"Even better!" Nida might have imagined it, but he distinctly thought that Rinoa puffed up her chest. "They're SeeDs. We had to use all the money in our Liberty Trust, but it's gonna be worth it!"

At this, both of the Forest Fox certainly looked impressed. "Wow," said the younger girl. "You guys are SeeDs? So you can, like, use magic and everything?"

"You bet!" said Zell. "Hey, I'd even give you a demonstration —" he hesitated, and one could actually see the moment when his mind caught up with his mouth. "— but, ah, I'd better not, y'know? Garden regulations; no frivolous use of magic."

"Oh," said the girl, smiling. "Too bad."

Nida wasn't quite sure if she was flirting with Zell or not, but he definitely didn't want to find out. "We should probably keep moving," he said.

"Hey, do you know the best way to get to the TV station from here?" Rinoa asked of the Forest Fox's leader, without directly acknowledging Nida. "I mean, I kinda know where it is, but I never actually had to go there before."

"No, I don't suppose you would," said the woman. "Well, the best way is by the tram, but I suppose you'll want to sneak in the back way." She frowned. "Let's see...there used to be a way through the back alley of this house. But the Pub was built around the time they stopped broadcasting; we haven't used the back alley too much since then."

"It's right behind this house?" asked Zell. "That's convenient."

"Not if there's a pub in the way," pointed out Nida.

"Why don't you look through the 2F window?" asked the woman. "You should be able to see the back alley from there."

Nida frowned. "Can't we just go out _into_ the alley, and see it that way?" he asked.

"Well, our back door's been stuck for years," said the woman. "I guess you might be able to climb down from the 2F window, if you really wanted to."

It occurred to Nida that the woman seemed oddly intent in getting them to look through the 2F window.

"Hey, all right!" exclaimed Zell. "So we'll sneak into the alley, all secret-agent-like! That'll _totally_ catch those Galbadians by surprise!"

Nida was starting to get used to Zell's outbursts by now, but he couldn't help wondering silently just how sneaky they would look climbing out of a window in broad daylight. "...Sure," he said. "We'll...go look out that window, then."

- - **- — -** - -

"Okay, my butt really hurts, guys," complained Rinoa, as the trio made their way down the alley.

"Hey, you're just lucky me 'n Nida were there to catch you," said Zell. "Otherwise you would've hit the street a lot harder!"

"If you caught me properly, I wouldn't have hit the ground at all!" Rinoa insisted. "I _told_ you I wasn't too good at climbing down walls! Besides, aren't SeeDs supposed to have GF that make you super-strong?"

Nida could have made a joke about how much Rinoa weighed at this point, but he didn't think of one fast enough.

"Hey, we're all okay, right?" asked Zell. "Let's just get on with the mission!"

"Uh, Zell," said Nida, more quietly. "Maybe talking about the mission out loud right now isn't the best —"

"Whoa!" Zell, cutting Nida off as they came upon the Timber TV station. The subject of his amazement was a massive, flat display screen located on the side of the building, which was currently displaying some very high-definition static. "That's an outdoor TV!"

"This is creepy," said Rinoa, staring at the sea of garbled half-images that resembled a constantly shifting eye-teaser photo. "What is that stuff?"

"The screen has to pick up a clear signal to translate into usable images," said Nida, dutifully ignoring his previous point as unlikely to get anywhere. "Looks like they still haven't configured their broadcast for proper reception."

"It looks kinda like a whole bunch of sand," said Zell. "Black-and-white sand, though; and maybe in an earthquake, you know what I mean?"

The oddest thing was, Nida could actually see what he meant. "...Well, we should probably find a way to get inside," he said. "That looks like a truck-loading door over there, but that might not even lead to the main building. I dunno, is this where we sneak in through an air vent?"

"What about those stairs?" asked Rinoa.

"I'd imagine the Galbadians would have guards at all the main entrances," replied Nida. "...Hey, actually, they've got to get people out to service that TV somehow, right? Maybe there's some kind of door up there?"

"Hey, yeah!" said Zell. "Let's check it out!"

"All right," said Rinoa. "We'll examine the outdoor TV. Team, let's move out!"

Ten seconds later, they were examining the outdoor TV. "Think this is it?" asked Zell, pointing to a small hatch beneath and to the right of the display screen.

"Looks like," Nida agreed. "And that's probably the control panel; we'd probably need an access code to get in, though."

"Yo, just leave that to me!" Zell insisted. "They call me 'the machine' when it comes to machinery!"

"...Okay," said Nida. "That's a computer, though."

Zell blinked. "...Yeah, well, computers are machines!" he insisted. "Sort of. Anyway, just watch!" Stepping up to the control panel, he began tentatively punching in numbers. Nida watched him, and Rinoa stood around trying to look useful while not doing anything.

"...I still don't see why I had to pay the 'climb-down fee' to those kids when you two didn't," she said, after a moment.

"...You actually _paid_ them?" asked Nida, but Rinoa didn't answer.

Suddenly, a burst of sparks shot from somewhere behind the display screen, which went blank. This was accompanied by a metallic _thud_ from the service hatch; and Zell, who had initially recoiled along with Nida and Rinoa at the explosion, experimentally nudged at the hatch with his foot. It slid open freely.

"See?" Zell asked triumphantly. "Told ya; nothing to it!"

"How did you short out the system just by using the..." Nida decided he didn't really want to know anyway. "Well...let's go, then."

And the two SeeDs, accompanied by the Princess of the Forest Owls, slipped through the service hatch and into the TV station, with Nida conscientiously sliding the hatch closed behind them. About a minute later, Watts, who had been collecting information again, passed by. He ran down the alley to the Forest Fox's base, where two children were looking out from the window.

"Excuse me!" he called. "Have you seen the 'Forest Owls'? I have information to report!"

"Are we allowed to tell him?" asked the younger boy.

"We'd better charge him a 'tell-you fee'," said the older. To Watts, he said, "Tha'll be 5,000 gil, please!"

Obediently, Watts checked his wallet, yet found himself a little short. "Oh, no," he said, sinking to his knees. "I can't fail the Princess, but how am I gonna get 5,000 gil?"

"Tell you what!" said the older boy. "If you can't afford it, we'll give you a special discount! Half off, so...3000 gil!"

"That better not be my half!" complained the younger boy.

"Boys!" came the sharp voice of the Forest Fox's leader. "Are you charging people fees for things again?"

"Uh-oh!" said the older brother. "Run away!"

And they both disappeared.

Watts remained, more than a little confused. "...Hello?" he said; but no one was there.


	16. Succession of Witches

As president of the Galbadian Republic, Vinzer Deling normally didn't have time to read his speeches before delivering them. This particular statement, however, he had deemed important enough to write himself, and he had finalized it the night before. Naturally, his speechwriters had then insisted on reviewing a copy, and had managed to add some two thousand words to the document in the past ten hours.  
  
Our goal should be a world in which the promise of tranquility and domestic security is fully realized by the good credit and faith of all nations great and small,' he read, as the sound crew was testing the recording equipment that had lay unused for seventeen years. A world where no citizen must fear because their leaders sit on the edge of war; where no nation must devote resources to national defense that could be turned instead to citizens' well-being; where non-agression is synonymous with peace rather than an interlude between wars; where....' Trailing off, the president flipped through the half-dozen pages that he hadn't got to yet. How long does this go on, exactly?  
  
Mr. President, this is the defining speech of your presidential history, said his speechwriter. This is your chance to make a profound impact on history and the international community.  
  
I've given agenda speeches to the National Assembly that were interesting than this, said Deling. Where's the original? I'm just going to read that.  
  
His aides looked at each other uncertainly. ...We didn't bring the original, sir.  
  
Deling shook his head. Oh, for begging Hyne.  
  
Mr. President, it's the conclusion of the staff that this version provides a much more comprehensive and better reflects the policy drafted by the Foreign Affairs department —  
  
Since when did I tailor my statements to satisfy Foreign Affairs? snapped Deling. It should be the other way around. Remind them of that, if you please. In the mean time....  
  
asked the announcer. We're nearly ready to begin now. It'll just be a few more moments.  
  
Deling shook his head. Well, it seems I'll have to recite the old speech from memory.  
  
Mr. President! The speechwriter was becoming agitated. Foreign Affairs feels that the current language is a clear and effective representation of the policy that—  
  
Oh, I'll be clear, Deling said, straightening his tie. Foreign shouldn't worry itself about that. He then nodded to the announcer. All right, let's go.  
  
Then the lights went out.  
  
A commotion erupted behind the president, although since he was unable to see properly in the dim light that remained it was difficult for Deling to tell exactly what happened. There were obvious sounds of fighting, and more than one piece of equipment was knocked over and possibly broken. When gunshots rang out, he became especially concerned, but couldn't seem to find the exit. One of his aides managed to reactivate the lights just in time for the president to see a pair of young men standing over his defeated guards, one aiming a gunblade at his head.  
  
Hold it right there, President, he said. Then, laughing, he added to his companion, What did I tell you, Squall? Too easy.  
  
Wh-what's the meaning of this? Deling sputtered, hoping for time to collect his thoughts as much as anything. Were these two affiliated with the Timber resistance? What group would have the ability to carry out such a strike against him? Most of all, why could neither of them be any older than twenty?  
  
You'll figure it out, snapped back the taller of the two, keeping the business end of his gunblade hovering centimeters from Deling's throat. Now here's what you're gonna do.  
  
All three of them turned their heads immediately to the exit, where a young woman in orange had joined the scene. She had been ready to say something more, but the sight of the one in black leather seemed to leave her quite shocked.   
  
Deling had come to the conclusion by now that he would be having a very bad day.  
  
  
  
Squall was starting to get an impression of just how much trouble Seifer was getting him into. As it usually was with Seifer, by the time Squall had figured this out, it was far too late to do anything about it; nor would he have refused Seifer's challenge anyway, even if he had known everything that had happened because of his acceptance.  
  
So far, anyway.  
  
You two need to stop this right away, Quistis said, trying to sound authoritative and failing completely. You've already caused incredible amounts of trouble, and things can only get worse from here.  
  
I dunno, said Seifer. I can think of _plenty_ of things we can make better with this guy in our custody. Hey, President, you sure you don't want to pull all your troops out of Timber?  
  
You won't accomplish anything with this adventure, insisted Deling, doing his best not to look flustered and failing almost as completely as Quistis had. My government does not negotiate with terrorists.  
  
Seifer snorted. Well, see, that's another policy you might want to reconsider.  
  
This is foolish, Seifer, said Quistis, taking a cautious step forward. I've never known you to do anything quite _this_ reckless.  
  
I'm trying new things, said Seifer. The old game was getting kind of...you know. Old.  
  
_Poor little boy._  
  
Squall blinked at the voice. It seemed to leap directly into his mind, but it was distinctly not his own, nor that of anyone else he knew. But it did sound eerily familiar, like the melody from a song he couldn't quite place the whole of. He glanced around, trying to find a source that wasn't inside his head; but there was no one in the room who could have spoken it.  
  
Who _are_ you people? demanded Deling. How could you have possibly got in here?  
  
You made a pretty big mistake coming to Timber, said Seifer. Shouldn't step into the fire if you don't wanna get burned.  
  
retorted Deling. No Timber resistance group could have done this. We crushed all the serious opposition years ago.  
  
Well, I guess we're kind of like evidence to the contrary, though, said Seifer.  
  
Shaking her head, Quistis gave up on Seifer. she said, Think about what you're putting at risk here. Whatever you're trying to prove, it isn't worth it.  
  
_Run away, little boy._ The voice was back. _Run and hide, like you always did._  
  
I won't run away, Squall insisted; though whether he was speaking to Quistis or the voice, he was not sure.  
  
Trying to drive a wedge between us? asked Seifer. _That's_ not the oldest trick in the book.  
  
It's not a trick, said Quistis. If it's too late for you to listen to reason, then I can only hope it isn't too late for Squall.  
  
_Too late to make her stay, but still you always have to try. Poor, scared, pathetic little boy._  
  
Stop calling me that, Squall said, turning away from Quistis and Seifer and Deling.  
  
Now Quistis was becoming confused. ...Squall, are you all right?  
  
_Don't cry._  
  
Shut up, Squall said. Quistis probably took this the wrong way.  
  
said Deling. You're completely unprofessional.  
  
That's enough from you! Seifer was becoming more on edge himself. Squall, get it together and get out of here with this guy!  
  
There were running footsteps approaching. I'm afraid it's far too late for that, said Deling. That will be the soldiers from my guard, here to incarcerate you all. I trust you'll enjoy our federal prison as much as I've enjoyed this encounter.  
  
Seconds later, Zell Dincht and the two others who had passed the SeeD exam the previous day came running through the door. exclaimed Zell.  
  
...What in the hell is going on here? was all Deling managed to say.  
  
Then they all froze. Squall didn't notice at first, because they had all been more or less frozen with surprise at any rate. However, after a moment it became clear that even Zell couldn't hold such a bizarre pose as his — he looked as if he were miming a headlong crash into a brick wall — naturally for as long as he was.  
  
_You want to run away._ The voice was very real now, and coming from behind him. He spun around to see a tall, slender form emerging from behind a curtain. It was clearly female, though her face was obscured behind a large ornamental beak that heralded from a culture Squall didn't recognize. The fabric of her dress extended all the way over her hands, giving her the appearance of long, claw-like fingers; overall, she resembled some eerie, menacing bird.  
  
And yet, she looked eerily familiar.  
  
_Where are you going to run? Or will you stay, and blindly follow? Would she approve of what you've done? Which will you be, the puppet or the coward?_  
  
What do you want? Squall demanded. Who are you?  
  
_You've been reacting all your life, and what do you have to show for it?_ she asked. _Don't you think it's time you acted on your own?_ She was circling him now, slowly; and though the beak obscured her eyes, he could feel her gaze always directly upon him. _But you don't know **how** to act. All you can do is respond. You know that isn't enough, but it's all you ever dare to do. You never run, but you always hide._  
  
You don't know what you're talking about! snapped Squall. He didn't know either; but whatever it was, he was becoming very agitated about it.  
  
_Would you like to learn how to take action for yourself?_ She was back in front of the curtain now, and she had stopped. _Come and play the puppet on a larger stage. Run away with me, and you will see her again._  
  
Squall didn't know who this person was, or how she had appeared. He didn't know why she wanted him to go with her, or what she expected him to do. He didn't know what she had done to the others. He didn't know what any of her words to him had meant.  
  
He did know that, more than anything he could remember, he wanted to go with her.  
  
Almost unconsciously, his feet carried him towards her. Nodding, she retreated from him, disappearing into the shadows behind the curtain. Suddenly worried that he might lose her and be unable to follow, Squall quickened his pace and nearly ran into the darkness himself.  
  
As the shadows enveloped him, her voice drifted back to him one more time.  
  
_Before you die,_ she said.


	17. Junction

Nida suddenly felt very dizzy. As the floor suddenly seemed to be rocking under him, he stumbled briefly while trying to find his balance again. When he did, he noticed that the others seemed to have been similarly affected, and were looking around or clutching their heads in confusion.

Except Squall. Squall didn't seem to be there at all.

In his disorientation, Seifer had unwittingly released his grip on an also disoriented Deling. The president, seeing his chance but not quite seeing the exit, bolted into a run in the general direction of the hallway, too quickly for Seifer or Quistis to stop him. Zell yelped, but Deling proved to be quite a fast runner and was past the SeeD before he could react.

Then he tripped over Nida's foot, which he had also not seen.

Seifer was back on him in an instant, putting an end to that excitement. "Nice try, President," he said, trying to sneer but not quite succeeding. Nida knew Seifer mostly by reputation, but he could tell the non-SeeD had been thrown off his game.

"...Is that the _real_ President Deling?" asked Rinoa.

"Does that mean Seifer captured the President?" asked Zell. "Dammit, that's _our_ job!"

"Seifer, I can't believe it!" exclaimed Rinoa. "This is amazing! I...!" She raised her arms as if wanting to hug him, but was unable to as Seifer was physically restraining the Galbadian president.

"You don't know how much trouble you're all in!" Deling blustered. "Whatever organization you represent won't survive the week should anything happen to me. The Galbadian army will crush any forces of insurrection."

"Yeah, you've been trying!" said Rinoa. "But Timber won't ever rest until we have our freedom, and to think otherwise is just...dumb!"

Nida's eyebrows involuntarily shot up.

"Hold on a moment," Quistis said. She was frowning at the space in the room where Squall had last been, which now looked just like any other part of the room, especially in the sense that Squall was not there. "Did anyone see what happened to Squall?"

"Who?" asked Rinoa.

"...He was right there, wasn't he?" Nida pointed to the spot Quistis had been staring at, as if that was information she didn't have. Mentally he reprimanded himself for acting so dense.

"He was," Quistis agreed. "I didn't see him leave, but he's obviously not here anymore. It doesn't make sense." She shook her head. "Suddenly I have this awful feeling; I don't quite understand it, but..."

"Oh, was Squall that guy in black?" asked Rinoa.

"_Hey_!" snapped Seifer, who was struggling to keep a now-squirming Deling in his grip. "Could all of you _shut up_ for a second and notice we've got a situation here?"

The others, rather dazed by the cumulative effect of the past sixty seconds, complied. For a few moments, silence hung in the room.

Then Selphie came running down the hall accompanied by Watts. "Guys, guess what!" said Selphie by way of greeting, before she skidded to a halt upon seeing the gathering they had assembled. "Heey, what's going on here?"

"Is that President Deling, sirs?" asked Watts. "Excellent job, sirs! Mission accomplished, sirs!"

"Um..." Judging by her expression, Rinoa had forgotten that the purpose of this particular mission had been to declare Timber's independence, not capture Deling. "That's right! We've finally struck a major blow for Timber's freedom!" She looked to Nida and Zell. "...What should we do now?"

"...We probably shouldn't stay here," said Nida. "The Galbadians will come looking for him. Plus –" _this place is really creeping me out,_ he nearly added. "– we could use some time to figure out what just happened here."

"So you wanna run away?" demanded Seifer. "You want to go and hide and take guesses about what's going on? Squall just _disappeared_ from right in front of us; what do you suppose will happen with _him_ while you sit around and do your thinking?"

"Hey, I bet you're the one who got him into this to start with!" accused Zell. "What right d'you have, actin' like we don't care and you do?"

"Stop it!" snapped Quistis. "We don't have time to argue! Both of you, act your age for once!"

Nida blinked. While he didn't know Instructor Trepe well, she was hardly notorious for her temper. Seifer expressing any brand of concern for Squall was unexpected as well, especially a day after the two had nearly killed each other.

"Oh!" Watts literally jumped, apparently remembering something important. "New info, sir! The Galbadians have located our base on the tracks outside of town! It's been destroyed!"

"What!" exclaimed Rinoa. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Everyone escaped, ma'am," Watts assured her. "But now there's a manhunt on! We'd better keep a low profile, sir!"

Keeping a lower profile than a giant yellow railroad engine with **RAIDERS** painted on the side shouldn't be too hard, Nida thought. Nonetheless, the concept of a manhunt being on for them even _before_ they captured the president was not a happy one. "We should keep off the streets," he said. "Is there an underground exit to the building?"

"Uh..." Rinoa said. "No, I don't think so. We'll have to use the back alley again."

"There weren't any guards there, sir!" Watts said. "Since it's closed off, they might not even know about it!"

"Heey," said Selphie. "If the Galbadians have got Squall, then we've got their president as a hostage! Can't we use him as, like, a negotiating tool or something?"

"My government does not negotiate with terrorists," said Deling. "You're wasting your time."

"'Terrorists!'" Rinoa said indignantly. Stepping up to the president, she added, "Anyway, it's your time to waste as well as ours, Mr. President. So I don't really care. Team—" she turned around to face the others, including those who weren't actually in her team. "Let's move out."

After a few seconds spent looking at each other, the others began to wander down the hall, although it wasn't clear that any of them actually knew what their plan of action was.

"...So where are we going?" Zell asked.

- - **- — -** - -

The Forest Fox's leader was understandably surprised by the entourage of Forest Owls, SeeDs and Galbadian president-for-life who managed to jimmy open her back door without (quite) knocking it off its hinges in the process. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed upon seeing them. "Rinoa, is that—?"

"Vinzer Deling, the one and only!" Watts declared proudly. "We've captured the President of Galbadia, ma'am!"

"I hope it's okay if we stay here," said Rinoa. "Yours was the closest place, and soldiers are out looking for us, so—"

"Of course," said the woman, nodding vigorously. "You can use our basement. It's a little damp, but it's the best I can think of." She led them to a door that creaked slightly as she opened it, revealing a stairway under a naked light bulb leading into an unlit room. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need," she said, pulling the chain to turn on the light and illuminate the box-filled basement at the bottom of the stairs. "Make yourselves at home. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Rinoa nodded. "Thanks, chief."

Seifer practically carried Deling down the stairs; though the president was mostly worn out on protesting by now, he would still put up some struggle whenever it seemed the most inconvenient for his captors. Rinoa found a metal folding chair they could tie him to, but the only thing they could find to secure him with was a roll of duct tape, which they applied liberally to his arms and legs. This got him complaining again, particularly about the state of his apparently expensive suit; but everyone ignored him.

"So," Rinoa said, once the president had been secured. "What do we do now?"

Quistis opened her mouth to speak, but thought better. "Can we talk upstairs?" she asked, glancing at Deling.

Rinoa frowned, glancing at the President herself. "...Okay. Someone should watch him, though."

"We'll do it!" exclaimed the older of the Forest Fox leader's sons, who had been watching from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah!" affirmed the younger. "We'll watch him real close, and if he tries to escape, we'll give 'im a spanking!"

Nida got the impression that Rinoa was actually considering this. "I dunno," he said. "Maybe one of us should—"

"Aw, c'mon!" said the older boy. "We'll do great! We wanna help save Timber's future, too!"

"Sure," Rinoa decided. "But be careful, and don't let him trick you!"

"We won't!" the younger boy promised earnestly. With this assurance, the four SeeDs, Seifer and Rinoa retired to the main floor of the house.

"Seifer, what are you doing here?" Rinoa asked as they were climbing the stairs. "Garden didn't send you, did they?"

"Seifer isn't a SeeD," Quistis said. "He convinced Squall to join him, then broke out of the Disciplinary Room, injured many and stole Garden property to get here."

"So I wasn't going to sit around like a Grat while you dictated my life for another year," Seifer shot back. "And what the hell is this, anyway? Three rookie SeeDs against the whole Galbadian Army?"

Nida did wonder if it was better with two students who couldn't even pass the SeeD exam, but that seemed like a rather mean thing to say out loud.

"I need to get Seifer back to Garden," said Quistis. "Cid needs to know what's happened to Squall, and we can't have random elements disrupting a mission."

"Oh, like _hell_ you will!" Seifer snapped. "You got something to say to me, Instructor? How about saying it to my face?"

Quistis fixed a cold stare on him, but before she could say anything, there was a forceful knocking on the house's front door.

"Anybody in here?" demanded a rough voice with a distinct Galbadian accent.

The Forest Fox leader hurried to the door, bracing it shut with both hands as she peered through the peephole. "What is this? I have two small children in here; don't do anything to frighten them!"

"Quick, hide!" said the leader's daughter, grabbing Zell's arm and pulling him toward the stairs. "Some of you can come upstairs, but hurry!"

The group hastily organized their retreat.


	18. Hideout

That guy tried to _scare_ us! declared the older of the two boys who had been left to guard President Deling, as Quistis and Nida returned to the basement. Most of the SeeDs, along with Seifer and Rinoa, had gone upstairs with the Forest Fox daughter; but Quistis hadn't wanted to leave the President with only the children.  
  
We didn't listen, though! added the younger boy proudly. We told im we're gonna free Timber, an' then he'll pay!  
  
Good for you, said Quistis, placing a hand on each of their shoulders and drawing them gently away from Deling. I've got a new mission for you, though. There are some Galbadians upstairs, and they're looking for this man here. We're trying to hide him, so they can't know he's down here; but you two need to go upstairs so the soldiers won't be suspicious. Can I trust you not to say anything that might tell the Galbadians you know anything about where he is?  
  
You bet! said the older boy. We'll be totally sneaky! They won't suspect a thing!  
  
I'm glad to hear it, said Quistis. Remember, be very careful, or we could get in big trouble.  
  
Nida watched as the two children hurried up the stairs, and refrained from voicing his concerns about the vaguely suicidal nature of their predicament.  
  
So it seems you can't evade the Galbadian military after all, Deling crowed. I'll see you in the Desert Prison by the end of the day.  
  
The two SeeDs looked at him dispassionately. We should hide him, Nida said.  
  
I agree, Quistis said.  
  
They quickly gagged the president, then searched for a way to conceal him from sight. Soon, Deling was sealed inside a previously empty refrigerator box, tightly muzzled.  
  
It doesn't look like there's a good place for _us_ to hide, said Quistis, once this was done.  
  
Nida looked around; indeed, the basement was not very large, and Deling's concealment had taken up most of the available space. Under the stairs? he suggested.  
  
Quistis frowned. We'd barely fit, and we'd only be hidden if they didn't come down here. Let's see what we can do with these boxes.  
  
What they managed to do was squeeze into the space between the washing machine and the wall, which put them close to the house's fuse box. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with about five centimeters of free leg room caused Nida to become quite uncomfortable quite fast. The fact that the person he was shoulder-to-shoulder with was _the_ Instructor Trepe,  
  
Are you all right? Quistis whispered, likely picking up on Nida's discomfort from the numerous alternate postures he was soon experimenting with. She looked almost serene sitting beside him, leading Nida to believe the stories about how she could maintain perfect composure in the middle of a hurricane.  
  
Nida practically jumped at the sound of her voice in his ear. he said reflexively, though not with any degree of conviction.  
  
You should try not to think about it, Quistis said. Try to focus on the GF; that seems to help.  
  
Nida nodded, Yes, ma'am.  
  
Silence followed for a few more moments, before Nida determined that the lack of conversation was making him substantially more self-conscious as time dragged on. What do you think our next move should be, ma'am?  
  
You're still under contract from the Forest Owls, she whispered back. But it was Seifer who captured President Deling, and he was acting as a rogue agent. Your employer will have to decide what to do with the president, but I need to get Seifer back home to stand for disciplinary action, and find out what happened to Squall. She shook her head. If neither of them had gotten themselves tangled up in this, it would be much simpler.  
  
I've been getting that impression, Nida said.  
  
Oh, and it's important that Deling not know that any of us are from Garden, said Quistis. If he did, Galbadia would certainly retaliate.  
  
Nida glanced apprehensively at the refrigerator box where the president lay, but Quistis had done a good job of keeping her voice down. That makes sense. I don't know how good these Forest Owls are at keeping secrets, though.  
  
Quistis nodded sympathetically. This must be especially strange for you and your team, she said. For your first mission, things are turning out quite unusually.  
  
Yeah, I was just thinking that, Nida confirmed.  
  
She smiled, although Nida could barely tell since he was unwilling to look directly at her. Well, for what it's worth, she said, you seem to be doing an admirable job. I suppose Seifer taking his team off-mission during the field exam was a good warm-up for his interference here.  
  
Oddly enough, Nida hadn't made this connection before. I hadn't thought of it that way, he admitted. But yeah. I hope this doesn't turn into a normal thing, though.  
  
She didn't make any noise, but Nida was fairly sure that Quistis laughed at this. Then she sighed. I don't know what I'm going to do with Seifer, she said. He was so angry when he found out it was only the three of you dispatched to Timber. While still whispering, she gave an impressive reproduction of Seifer's tone, though thankfully not his actual voice. What!? They might end up fightin' the whole Galbadian force, and all they dispatch are three rookie SeeD members!? Dammit, I'm going to Timber!' ...I never would have guessed he was serious about it.  
  
Nida had absolutely no idea what he ought to say. That Instructor Trepe was actually having a conversation with him was strange enough, even setting aside the fact that they were in a Timber family's basement with the president of Galbadia tied up inside a refrigerator box nearby.  
  
Silence settled back in, which led Nida to feel more awkward than ever. There were footsteps upstairs, possibly belonging to the Galbadian troops; but neither of them could tell what precisely was happening above them.  
  
It's all right, said the voice of the Forest Fox leader from the stairs above them. They've gone, for now at least.  
  
Nida and Quistis both peeked around the edge of the washing machine to ensure that there were indeed no Galbadians waiting to ensnare them once they came out of hiding. There weren't, so they crawled out into sight; in doing so, Nida discovered that his legs had become quite badly cramped.  
  
What's the situation? Quistis asked.  
  
Soldiers have locked down the entire city, said the Forest Fox leader. They're bringing in more forces from the Dingo garrison and elsewhere, and all traffic into and out of town has been shut down.  
  
Quistis nodded. That'll complicate our escape. To Nida, she said, We might be able to sneak out somehow, but certainly not with Deling among us.  
  
I should probably ask our employer what we want to do with him, said Nida, glancing at Deling's refrigerator box. Uh, so if we leave him here for now, is there—  
  
We'll watch him! declared the older of the two Forest Fox boys, as they both bounded down the stairs past their mother.  
  
added the second. He ain't goin' nowhere!  
  
He _isn't_ going _anywhere_, corrected his mother.  
  
We'll be upstairs, Quistis said, leading the way up the stairs. Selphie, Zell, Rinoa, Seifer, and the Forest Fox daughter were waiting in the kitchen.  
  
I still don't get it, Selphie was saying. What did you and Squall come her for, anyway?  
  
Seifer glowered at the wall and didn't answer.  
  
...It was to help us, wasn't it? asked Rinoa. The Forest Owls. He didn't acknowledge her, either.   
  
Excuse me, said Quistis. We should consider where we go from here. Deling can't stay in this family's basement, and all of us should look into escaping from Timber. To Rinoa, she added, I don't know what you'll want to do. But I need to get Seifer back to Garden for disciplinary action —  
  
Oh, the hell you are, said Seifer. Just try it, Instructor.  
  
Quistis glared at him, fiercely enough that Nida felt intimidated even as a simple witness. I _will_ use force if I have to, Seifer. Don't push me to demonstrate.  
  
Seifer did seem surprised at the harshness of her rebuke, though he still seemed less intimidated than angry. He and Quistis did indeed look almost ready to come to blows; Nida felt obligated to step in, but couldn't really think of anything to do that might improve the situation.  
  
Rinoa said, defusing the situation for him. If you're going to leave town...I know all the trains have been shut down, but there's the old Horizon Bridge railroad. It's been shut down for the last 17 years, so it might not be as heavily guarded.  
  
How far is it? asked Quistis.  
  
You can get there through the alley out back, said the Forest Fox daughter. It's pretty far, but the alley's basically abandoned; there might not be any guards. Hey, I could show you the way!  
  
Nida wasn't sure about this idea. For one thing, they'd need to find a train that could and would _run_ on these tracks, and the tracks would have to still be operational despite not being used for seventeen years, and the Galbadians had already shown themselves as able to destroy a train that day. Still, he didn't think it was his place to say.  
  
Nida, what do you think? Quistis asked.  
  
Nida said. ...Well, I guess we can't stay here. And I can't think of any better idea. And he _had_ been trying. So it's worth a try, I suppose.  
  
Quistis nodded, thoughtfully. I think you're right. Okay, so we'll try to work our way to the Horizon bridge station.  
  
Another problem occurred to Nida. Should we really be dragging Deling through the open streets? he asked.  
  
This prompted more thinking. ...Well, we got a new refrigerator not that long ago, said the Forest Fox daughter. The box should be downstairs; you guys can carry him inside that.  
  
Hey, yeah! said Selphie. It'll by like in all the spy movies, when the hero hides in the trunk of a car!  
  
agreed Zell. That'd be awesome! We should totally do it!  
  
Nida sighed. Quistis shrugged, with a smile whose meaning Nida couldn't immediately identify. She had moved on to logistical discussions with Rinoa and the Forest Fox daughter before Nida realized that the smile had been conveying irony – to Nida. She had, in fact, been smiling _at him_. For Nida, this was a tough concept to fathom.  
  
He sighed again.


	19. Escape

While the Horizon Line station was indeed unwatched by Galbadian troops, the SeeDs learned quickly that this was so for a very good reason.  
  
"Man," said Zell, observing the expansive but quite run-down transportation hub. "This place looks like nobody's been here for years!"  
  
"They probably haven't," said Nida. "Train service to Esthar was terminated with the start of the Sorceress War." The station, he thought, looked easily as modern as the TV station, and its design was outstanding. Even abandoned, it looked nicer than several parts of town – though it should be noted that most of what Nida had seen of Timber had been back alleys. "I think this station was still brand new when it happened, too."  
  
"Yeah, it was," said the Forest Fox daughter. Nida thought he ought to have learned her name, but it was now too late to ask without embarrassment at not knowing already. "People talk about linking it to the other lines, and it actually does run to the desert, but there's not enough traffic to be worth it."  
  
"What about the Galbadia line?" asked Nida. "It seems like you wouldn't want trains running through the middle of the town square."  
  
"The Galbadians put that one in," said the Forest Fox daughter. "It lets them deposit people right in the middle of the city in case of an uprising. At least, that's what everyone says."  
  
"Hey, guys?" asked Zell. He was standing guard next to President Deling's refrigerator box, which he had carried single-handedly thanks to his GF, possibly damaging their theoretical efforts not to look conspicuous. "If this place is abandoned, doesn't that mean there won't be any trains here?"  
  
Nida looked around at the seven or eight abandoned tracks; none of them contained a train, abandoned or otherwise. "Doesn't look like there are," he agreed. "...I guess we could wait until nighttime and try to sneak out on the rails. It probably wouldn't work, though."  
  
"We might want to explore the option of going into hiding here in Timber," said Quistis. "Rinoa, do the Forest Owls have anyplace you can go if you lose access to your train?"  
  
"Umm...." Rinoa looked down at her feet, which she was using to trace patterns in the gravel by the tracks. "Not really, no."  
  
"Well, they've gotta start the trains again sometime," said the Forest Fox daughter. "Until then, you can stay with us!"  
  
"Heey...." Selphie was staring out across the tracks, and didn't seem to have registered what anyone else was saying. "Is that what I think it is?"  
  
Nida frowned in the direction she indicated. There, among a small number of abandoned railroad cars, was what appeared to be two miniature cars linked together. One was a normal flatbed car – normal except for being about half the typical size – but the other had what appeared to be a seesaw with hand grips mounted on it, and some sort of engine below.  
  
"...A handcart?" Quistis wondered.  
  
"Looks like one," Nida agreed. "Looks like a pretty old design, if that's a pump engine it has."  
  
"Hey, no kidding?" asked Zell. "You mean it's one of those things where you kinda pump that bar thing and that makes the whole thing move?"  
  
Nida ventured a guess at what Zell had been saying. "Probably," he replied.  
  
"_Awesome_!" Zell exclaimed, hopping onto the engine car. "Hey, let's ride this thing out of here! I bet the Galbadians'll never see _that_ one coming!"  
  
"Probably for good reason," said Nida. No one seemed to hear him.  
  
"You think we could do it?" Rinoa asked of Zell.  
  
"Sure thing!" Zell said, self-assuredly. "We've just gotta get this thing on the right track, and...." He set his hands on one of the driving bar's handles, then looked around him appraisingly. "Yo, which one's the right track?"  
  
"Wouldn't riding out on an open handcart make us an even bigger target than we would be just walking?" asked Nida.  
  
"Yeah, but this way we'd be going really _fast_!" Selphie said, jumping up to take the other end of the driving bar—which reached up nearly to her shoulders. "What's the top speed of this thing, anyway?"  
  
"Probably not fast enough to outrun bullets," Nida suggested.  
  
Quistis, meanwhile, was frowning. "...It could work," she finally pronounced. "Nida, you know something about mechanics, don't you?"  
  
"...Yeah," said Nida, blinking. He had never been in any of Instructor Trepe's classes; how did she know _anything_ about him?  
  
"I remember hearing these carts ran on steam engines; is that right?"  
  
Nida nodded, feeling more secure now that something other than himself was the subject of her question. "Yeah, the control bar actually worked both to move the wheels and generate heat in the steam tank, which eventually made the cart go faster."  
  
"And if it's not gas-powered, then it must be fairly quiet, right?"  
  
"Assuming it's well-oiled and all, yeah." Nida got an idea of where she was taking this inquiry. "But it's still not exactly a stealth machine; if the Galbadians are watching the tracks at all, we'd be in real trouble. I'd think." The last sentence came as he became conscious that he was in effect starting an argument with Instructor Trepe. For some reason, talking to her did not make her seem nearly as imposing a figure as she had been at Garden.  
  
"We're already in real trouble," Quistis said – here she threw a glance at Seifer, who had been uncharacteristically quiet and reserved for hours now. "And the Galbadians are only going to tighten their grip on this town so long as their president is a hostage here. Assuming the machine is in good working order, I think we have to risk it."  
  
Rinoa clapped her hands, sending a somewhat discomforting echo through the train yard. "So it's decided, then! We'll operate the handcart to escape the Galbadian occupation, then consider our options! Okay, team?"  
  
No one expressed any dissent. Nida still wasn't wild about the plan, but then there wasn't much of anything related to their situation that he _was_ wild about.  
  
"All right!" said Zell, noting the absence of dissent by pumping his fist in the air. "Let's move out!"  
  
-  
  
"So how long d'you figure they're gonna keep us on alert?" asked the young Galbadian soldier who, after seven and a half hours of an indeterminately long shift, was not on any notable degree of alert anyway.  
  
"Beats me," said his companion. "I figured we'd be out of here right after the broadcast. You think something's going on?"  
  
"Wouldn't surprise me," said the first soldier. "When has Command ever told _us_ anything?"  
  
"You know, I did hear something about new guys coming in from D-district," said the second. "And there was that business with the train. You think maybe the resistance is making trouble?"  
  
"What resistance?" scoffed the second with a derisive laugh. The first soldier frowned, as the man's laugh seemed to have a faint squeak to it. The second soldier noticed the first soldier's expression, and frowned. "What?"  
  
The squeaking was, in fact, not coming from the other soldier, but rather somewhere down the tracks, beyond the street lamps' reach. The first soldier stepped towards the rails, frowning more deeply. "...Sounds like there's something on the tracks," he said.  
  
The other soldier looked over. "I don't see anything?"  
  
"Listen." The squeaking did indeed seem to be growing in volume. "Doesn't that sound like—" He cut himself off as the source of the noise appeared at the edge of the lamplight. "...what the hell?"  
  
The handcart was nearly past them by the time they had figured out what was going on. Since neither soldier had a weapon other than their standard-issue sabers, and the handcart was bearing down on them very quickly, their options for action were severely limited; they shouted for the vehicle to stop, then took up sheltered positions well off the tracks and attempted to cast Fire on it. One of the blasts managed to singe a large box that rested on the handcart's second platform, but otherwise the contraption whizzed past them and went on squeaking into the darkness.  
  
As it passed, the two soldiers looked at each other.  
  
"...So what do you think _that_ was about?" asked the first.  
  
The second glanced at the tracks again, then at his companion. "...What do I think _what_ was about?"  
  
The first soldier nodded, and they went back to their lookout positions without another word.


	20. Thieves

After a short, somewhat panicked moment in which they tried to determine whether President Deling had been set on fire, the group's escape from Timber proceeded as well as could have been expected; the handcart rode the rails out of the Timber city limits, where they left it and the rails behind to strike out on foot. (Nida found a way to keep the device running down the tracks, so as not to leave it for the Galbadians to use as a starting point for a search.) A slightly singed Deling, still gagged, was removed from the box and made to march in front of them.

At first, as they made their way away from any beaten path, there was little discussion; the sun beat down on them as if it were summer already, the tall grass would hide burnt-out tree stumps until someone tripped over them, and the ground had just enough of an uphill slant to make walking over it for a long time particularly wearying. And the only topic of conversation that came up to lighten the mood was that of how much more walking of what sort they would be doing.

Dollet's too big a risk, said Quistis, who was walking with Nida well behind Deling, who was being escorted by Selphie and Zell. Still, she kept her voice down. We can't walk through the streets with the president of Galbadia and charter a boat, especially with Galbadian troops still there to operate the communications tower.

Nida nodded. And since we obviously can't take the train back to Balamb, that means we're stuck in Galbadia for now. It probably wouldn't be very nice to involve the government of Balamb in this anyway.That's true, said Quistis. Which leaves us—Galbadia Garden, Nida agreed. That's pretty far away.No choice, Quistis said. They're about the only place on the continent that will take us in; and besides, it's Garden protocol.Article 8:7, Nida agreed. Well, you're the boss.You have a point, too, said Quistis. Getting there will be a problem. And I want to get there as quickly as possible; having Deling out in the open like this is a very bad idea.So how do we get there? Nida asked.

Quistis sighed, taking out her electronic map and scrolling across the display. I'm wondering if there's some sort of transportation we could use. With the trains not running, it's a long way to walk.

Nida frowned. He'd never been to Timber before, and the map Garden had provided him didn't provide a lot of information about the area. Since he had no idea what to say, he kept quiet for some time as they made their way over a shallow hill. He was still at a loss for what to do when, as they came near the top of the hill, he spied beyond it a long, snaking road, divided in the center: an expressway, probably the main road connecting Timber to the rest of the continent. That gave him an idea.

If Timber's under martial law, he said, and no one's being let in or out of the city, then there must be people waiting outside. Maybe some of them have cars.Not many people drive in Timber, said Quistis. Although the city does have quite a large population. It's worth exploring—but again, the road is sure to be guarded.It's a long road, said Nida. There's got to be some way. Probably.

By now, they had reached the top of the hill, and had a mostly unbroken view of the road as it ran into Timber. There was indeed a line of cars along the road leading into the city, and along the one leading out they could see vehicles moving, but they were going into town.

They're using the outbound road to move in more troops, said Quistis. We're lucky we got out of town when we did, but they'll be scouting the countryside before too long. She frowned, falling silent for a time. Nida waited; the others too had stopped, apparently also waiting on Quistis' decision (except Deling, who was still fuming).

What should we do now? asked Rinoa, approaching them. Seifer came with her, though he hung behind and maintained an expressive scowl.

...We'll try to secure a vehicle, said Quistis.

Seifer rolled his eyes. Oh, like no one's going to be watching the road out from Timber?We _did_ consider that, said Nida.

Seifer gave him a glare that seemed more appropriate for a dog who barked out of turn. Before he could reply, however, Quistis stepped in. It's no more dangerous than trying to walk out of here. I think it's worth a try.

Seifer scoffed. Whatever you say, Instructor.

Nida guessed from his tone that was somehow meant as an insult, though he wasn't sure why.

Quistis, ignoring the jab, turned to him. I should stay here with Deling. Would you and the Timber Team mind securing us a vehicle?

Nida almost saluted, but stopped himself upon remembering Deling. We'll do our best, he said.

-

Heey, how about that one? asked Selphie, pointing at a sleek sedan that was painted in such a bright orange that Nida felt sure it could glow in the dark.

Uh...I'm not sure if it's big enough, said Nida, trying to be diplomatic. We need a car that can seat seven, and preferably where we can hide Deling out of sight. said Zell. Plus it's ugly as hell.It totally is not! protested Selphie. I could go and tell the owner you said that!Just leave out the part about how you want to steal it, said Nida. Let's look for a van.

There was no shortage of cars to choose from, but their choices were limited to vehicles that could be maneuvered out of the line and away from their owners for a smooth getaway. This generally meant cars that were towards the back or stopped along the shoulder of the expressway, or where the operator seemed to have left. Nida had briefly considered suggesting one of the massive trailer trucks that was missing a driver, but had decided that they should probably opt for a lower profile.

How about that one, then? asked Zell, pointing to an off-road vehicle painted in camouflage green and with swamp treads on its tires. It looked big enough; but the owner, who was leaning against the hood, looked as if his preferred sport involved wrestling Wendigos.

Maybe something more generic, Nida suggested. Zell looked notably crestfallen.

What do you think's gonna happen with Timber? Selphie asked. I mean, if the Galbadians don't find their president, are they gonna give Timber independence?I wouldn't think so, said Nida. Probably they'll keep the city under martial law. Deling's lieutenants won't want to do anything without his approval, so I'd guess the government's only action will be trying to find him.Guess it's all up to Rinoa to negotiate it with Deling, said Zell. Then, Hey, how about that?

Nida looked where he was pointing. Stopped on the side of the road was a nondescript brown van, which had been modified to include a flatbed reminiscent of a pickup truck; it nonetheless had two sets of doors and looked big enough to seat seven people, if a little tightly. Best of all, there was no owner apparent.

There's a car like that in Balamb, said Zell. I helped fix its alternator once; that guy had seriously tricked out his engine. I wonder if this one's like that too!

I guess we can find out, said Nida. Zell didn't need his encouragement, as he and Selphie were already on their way towards the vehicle.

They had nearly come up on it when a problem presented itself. The front driver's-side window was open slightly, which seemed a bit odd until a big black dog started barking at them from inside it. Woah, man, Zell said upon seeing this. This could be trouble.

A few people were already starting to stare. I wonder... Nida began; then he ran through his mental list of magic he had come across. he tried.

Lights flashed inside the car, and seconds later the dog was curled up on the seat, looking inclined to bother no one.

All right! said Zell, a bit too loudly for Nida's preference.

We need to figure out how to get in, said Nida. The car's probably locked.

Zell confirmed this a second later by pulling on the door handle. he said, next trying to stick his hand through the opening in the window, but it was not quite wide enough. Guess we could just break it. said Selphie. I bet I can reach through that. To demonstrate, she hurried up to the door; but another problem presented itself. Um, can someone give me a boost? she asked, after a few seconds of trying to reach through the door on her own.

With Zell's assistance, she had the door open in quick time, and as Nida and Selphie carefully moved the dog away from the car, Zell tackled their next problem. No keys, he announced, after checking the glove compartment, the dashboard, the sun flaps, under the front seats, and inside the steering wheel. Guess I'll have to hotwire it. said Nida, still concerned about Zell's proficiency with machinery. Are you sure—

Sparks flew from the exposed wiring behind the steering wheel, and the car hummed to life. Zell exclaimed, even as he was aggressively beating out all the sparks that had landed on anything flammable, including the fur-lined seats. Hop in, everybody; let's get this to the rendezvous!

With a concerned look at the dog – fortunately, the magic-induced sleep was not shaken by the noise from the van – and after debating whether or not to try and talk Zell out of driving, Nida nodded and got in the passenger's side, while Selphie got in the row of seats behind them; they barely had time to fasten their seatbelts before Zell had got them moving. He turned in an arc tight enough that Nida worried they might run over the dog, but managed to get them heading away from Timber without any such an event; Nida didn't even see anyone who might be the vehicle's owner running after them in the rear-view mirror.

Selphie said. Mission accomplished.

Nida started to ask, but stopped. That actually did go really well.Of course it did! said Zell. We're _SeeDs_, man! The best of the best! It's why we get the big money!

The van, which was still driving offroad, hit a large jolt that caused Nida to involuntarily gnash his teeth together. ...Just watch where you're driving, okay? he asked. This car needs to get us a long way from Timber, and it'd be nice not to break it too badly for the owner.Hey, I hear you, said Zell. Don't worry about it! I was driving my dad's truck practically before I could reach the pedals!

While Nida was not particularly encouraged by this, he kept this to himself. Zell finally got them back on the road as the line of waiting cars fell away behind them, leaving clear driving ahead of them—for the moment, at least.


	21. A Dream Deferred

"Timber is now fully under martial law," the officer was saying. "All exits to the city have remained secure."

"Understood," replied the general, without looking up from the report on his desk. "And the search?"

"We're currently implementing Phase 3," the officer said. "Estimated completion is 1900 hours. No results so far."

"And nothing from Intelligence?"

"Not beyond their initial report. It seems the resistance may have wanted us to learn of the train hijacking, as a diversion from the actual kidnapping."

The general closed the report. "A clever plan. It seems I...that we have underestimated the Timber resistance. Even so, they have yet to announce the kidnapping, or make any demands."

The officer nodded. "They may still be on the run."

"Perhaps," the General said. "Inform me once Phase 3 is complete." The officer saluted, and turned to leave. Then, the general looked up. "Wait. There is another contingency we should consider."

"Sir?"

"With the president's status unknown, Galbadia is without a functioning government. And his kidnappers may be keeping silent because this is part of a broader terrorist operation. If so, it is imperative that the chain of command be unbroken."

To his credit, the officer hesitated only a moment before nodding. "I understand, sir. I'll begin the paperwork."

- - **- - - -** - -

It was a long drive from Timber to Galbadia Garden. Nida wasn't precisely sure _how_ long, since he had never had occasion to drive across the Galbadian continent before, and the Timber roads were not particularly well-marked; but they had been on the road for hours now, with Zell behind the wheel, Quistis navigating, Nida stuck between Rinoa and Seifer in the center seat, and Selphie with Deling in back. (Rinoa had torn up the half-sleeve that had covered her left forearm in order to improvise a blindfold for the Galbadian president, in a show of resourcefulness that had left Nida momentarily impressed – though he still wondered what possible use the garments had originally been designed for.)

They had managed to avoid all the Galbadian roadblocks without too much trouble; apparently the soldiers didn't expect their targets to have escaped the city yet. After that, it had simply been a matter of driving in a straight, or gradually curving, line for hours on end.

"There," Quistis said, nodding to a forested valley coming up between a pair of high cliffs. "Garden should be just beyond those woods."

Zell complied, and the group was all to happy to get out. "Are we there yet?" Selphie asked from the truck bed.

"Just about," Quistis confirmed. "Everyone, make for the treeline. It'd be best if we weren't seen by passers-by." She and Nida then hauled Deling out of the vehicle, before noticing that Seifer had stopped after taking only a few steps.

"Seifer?" Quistis asked, seeing it too. The others had now stopped as well.

"This is the end of the line for me, Instructor," Seifer said, starting back toward the truck's driver's-side door. "You're not dragging me back to some detention cell."

"Yes, I am," Quistis replied evenly, placing herself between him and the car. "Seifer, the Galbadians will be after you, too. If you come back with us now, we can protect you."

"I don't need your protection," Seifer snarled.

"Seifer, there's no time for this," said Quistis. "You're coming back to answer for the situation you've put us all in. I'm not going to let you run away from that."

Faster than Nida could follow, Seifer had drawn his gunblade, and was aiming it straight at Quistis' neck. "Screw you," he said.

"Hey, what the hell are you doin'?" demanded Zell.

Seifer lashed out with his gunblade. The shot missed Quistis easily, and Nida guessed it had been meant to force her out of the way. Instead, Quistis' chain whip shot out, and within seconds she and Seifer were sparring fiercely. Nida, Zell and Selphie all started forward. "...Stop!" Rinoa yelped. "That's an order!"

Nida blinked at her, as did Selphie; but Zell continued forward as if he hadn't heard her at all. "Zell, you have to stop!" Nida commanded.

"Screw _that_!" Zell said, and charged in anyway. He tried to tackle Seifer from behind, but was foiled as Seifer – who had clearly been aware of his approach – spun around at the last second and delivered a roundhouse kick to Zell's solar plexus, recovering in time to prevent Quistis' chain whip from wrapping around his neck. Zell grunted and fell to the ground.

"Stop it!" Rinoa yelled again, as Zell recovered and Quistis tried a swipe at Seifer's blade-arm, nearly getting her own cut off by his parry. "What do you think you're doing? Stop fighting!"

"We don't have to do this, Seifer!" Quistis chimed in.

"Shut up!" Seifer retorted. He jabbed at Quistis' shoulder as Zell tried to drive an elbow into the small of his back, then ducked out of the way of her riposte, which in turn nearly hit Zell. Seifer then kicked Zell in the back as he dodged, but his right arm got smacked by Quistis' whip, knocking him off balance.

"Stop!" Rinoa demanded; then she charged in herself as if to physically separate the combatants.

"Hey!" Selphie exclaimed.

Quistis was pressing her advantage, and Zell was looking for an open angle from which to strike. But Seifer managed to duck one of her blows, and recover with a sweeping lateral strike that could have caught Quistis right in the side if she hadn't jumped back to avoid it. As it was, his follow-through led the gunblade straight to Rinoa's neck.

For a second, all four of them froze. Rinoa moved first; she fell to the ground with a hand to her throat, looking at Seifer with a horrified expression. A second later, Seifer lost his grip on his gunblade; the weapon, blade stained with blood, fell to the ground with a hard _thunk_ as it struck the earth.

A second after _that_, Quistis knocked Seifer's legs out from under him with her chain whip, sending him crashing into the ditch beside the road.

Zell was last, remaining frozen for another second or two, with his outstretched hand between where Seifer's gunblade and Rinoa's neck had been. Now he straightened up, and pulled off the combat glove that Seifer's weapon had just cut through. Blood from the gash in his hand was already starting to run down his arm.

"Aw, man!" he complained. "These were brand-new gloves, too!" Shaking his head, he took out a Potion to heal his hand.

"Rinoa, are you all right?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded, though she couldn't seem to stop fingering the spot on her neck where Seifer's blade had almost connected. Quistis then picked up Seifer's gunblade and handed it to Nida before looking down at Seifer, who didn't seem to be in a hurry to get up. "Don't try _anything_ like that again," she said, her tone quietly furious.

Seifer didn't make a move to argue. Quistis offered him her hand in getting up, which he ignored.

Then, Quistis swayed backward, clutching her head in her hands. "Uhh...," she said, glancing at Nida and the others with a very confused expression, before collapsing to the ground.

"M...Me too," Selphie piped in, then fainted herself.

The others looked at each other with expressions showing various levels of bewilderment. _...Oh, no,_ Nida thought. _Not this again._

Then Seifer's hand shot up to his head. "The...hell?" he asked, before collapsing right on top of Quistis' unconscious form.

There was silence for a moment. "..._What_?" Rinoa squeaked.

Zell was frowning. "I think...they went to the 'dream world.'"

Nida looked at him incredulously. "'Dream...world?'"

"Yeah," Zell said. "You know, man – that place Selphie and I went when we —"

"Right," Nida said, sighing. "We should...probably get them into cover."

-

Moving Quistis, Seifer, Selphie and Deling into the woods was about the first thing they managed to do without incident. After doing so, Nida and Rinoa sat down against trees to wait, while Zell started pacing.

"...How much trouble is Seifer gonna be in?" Rinoa eventually asked.

"My guess would be a lot," Nida said. "He's broken almost every protocol I can think of by now."

Rinoa nodded, looking weary. "And...what about that other guy? From the TV station."

"Squall?" Nida asked. "Depends on what happened to him. If he was captured by the Galbadians..." He shook his head. "It wouldn't be good."

"You mean they might kill him," Rinoa said. When Nida didn't answer, she picked up a fallen stick, examining it as if she badly needed some new focus for her attention. "Seifer was trying to help us," she said. "The 'Forest Owls.' I guess he figured we needed more help than your team could give." She shook her head. "It was probably obvious to everyone that we couldn't handle things on our own."

"It's not like anything Seifer did was your fault," Nida said. "As far as I can remember, he's always done whatever he felt like."

"Hey, are you talkin' about Seifer?" Zell asked. "Look, forget about him, okay? Seifer's always been a total jerk."

Rinoa looked away. "...You don't understand."

Nida frowned. "How do you know Seifer, anyway?"

Rinoa looked at him, then away again. "...It was last summer. I was 16. He came to Timber and..." She leaned her head back against the tree, eyes focusing on someplace distant from the present. "I...really liked him. He was always full of confidence, smart...Just by talking to him, I felt like I could take on the world." She smiled wistfully. "Lots of fond memories."

"Seifer was your boyfriend?" Zell exclaimed, drawing a surprised look from Rinoa. "...Man."

"I don't know, really," Rinoa said, looking over at Seifer's prone form. "I...I think I was in love. I never really knew how he felt."

_Figures,_ Nida thought. Between them, Seifer and Squall managed to draw the attentions of maybe 2/3 of the girls back at Garden. The only difference between them was that Seifer noticed.

They lapsed into silence again; this time it was broken when Quistis, Selphie and Seifer all started to moan and get to their feet.

"Okay...," said Seifer. "WHAT was THAT?"

"Was it Laguna again?" Zell asked.

Selphie nodded. "Sir Laguna's in BIG TROUBLE! I hope he'll be okay...!"

Quistis frowned. "Doesn't seem like the first time for you. What is this?"

"Zell and Selphie passed out on the train to Timber," Nida offered. "We couldn't figure out why."

"How strange," Quistis said. "Like living somebody else's memories." She paused a moment longer. "...Well, I doubt there's anything we can do about it here. We'll address this once we reach our destination."

"Yeah, let's go!" said Zell. "We're almost there, right?"

Quistis nodded. "Zell, take Deling. Seifer." She said Seifer's name more harshly, and nodded in the direction they were going. With Seifer glowering, they started off on the last leg of their journey – at least as Nida imagined it.


	22. Galbadia Garden

Despite a superficially similar appearance, Galbadia Garden looked nothing like its Balamb counterpart. Where Balamb Garden seemed idyllic and relaxed, this one was majestic, elegant and more than a little intimidating. The ranks of students in green versions of the Galbadian infantry uniform performing exercises on the grounds all around them – and in the sky above, thanks to bulky rotorframes that Nida had never seen up close before – didn't help.

They stopped at the main entrance, with Deling still blindfolded and Nida still carrying Seifer's gunblade. "I'll explain our situation to the headmaster," Quistis said, taking Nida aside and speaking softly enough for neither Deling nor Seifer to hear. "I've been here several times, and I know him pretty well." She nodded toward Seifer and Deling. "Make sure neither of them does anything."

Nida nodded, and Quistis went on in, leaving the others to wait. Nida noticed they were getting odd looks from the students hanging around.

"What is this place?" Deling demanded, voice sounding a bit cracked – an aftereffect from the gag, Nida hoped. "Where have you brought me?"

"Shut up!" Seifer snapped.

"I am the president of the Republic of Galbadia!" Deling snapped. "I demand to be treated with respect!"

A trio of men approached, in outfits that looked like a cross between drill instructors and football trainers. "We'll take it from here," one said; and he was escorting Deling into the Garden before anyone could object. "Mr. Almasy, you too."

Seifer stood his ground for a moment, glaring daggers at the man, but eventually went along.

"The rest of you, please wait in the 2F reception room," said the man. "The Headmaster is meeting with your leader now." He turned and left before Nida could ask where the 2F reception room was.

The group proceeded into Galbadia Garden's cavernous main hall. Though Balamb's was probably technically larger, this one simply felt emptier, not least because of the quiet that seemed to pervade it.

"Wow," said Selphie, unconsciously lowering her voice. "It's completely different from either Balamb or Trabia Garden."

"Yeah," Nida agreed, though he was just relieved to be back at _any_ Garden.

After some experimentation, Nida found the door marked "RECEPTION," and the group filed in and sat down.

It wasn't long before Quistis appeared. She had a distant, haunted expression that probably boded something other than happy news. "They understood our situation," she said. "Though obviously this was a lot for them to take in."

"What'll happen to Deling?" asked Rinoa. "Garden isn't going to release him, right?"

"That's not normal procedure," said Quistis. "But these are unique circumstances. The Headmaster's thinking it over."

"You can't!" said Rinoa. "This is Timber's best chance for freedom!"

"Honestly, I think something else is going on," said Quistis. "The Headmaster seemed...odd."

There was a pause. "Hey," said Zell. "What about Squall?"

Quistis sighed. "...It appears he was captured after all. The trial's over, and —" Her voice caught. "...and the sentence was carried out."

Nida winced.

"He was executed!" Zell slumped back in his chair. "Oh, _man_."

Rinoa looked quite stunned herself. "I can't believe it. He...sacrificed himself for the 'Forest Owls.' For people he didn't even know."

Quistis took a seat herself. "I don't think Squall ever refused a challenge from Seifer," she said. "I never understood it. ...In a way, they were a lot alike. If they could just have exercised more self-control, I think both of them would be SeeDs right now."

"Was Squall your student?" Selphie asked.

Quistis nodded. "More than that. I've known him for as long as I can remember. He always kept to himself, but...there was just something about him."

Nida certainly agreed. He'd always kind of admired Squall's ability to attract so much attention, just to ignore it all. He'd always kind of resented it, too. This was a guy who nobody really knew, but everyone would mourn anyway. He wished he had some idea how Squall had done it.

He also wished he could have thoughts that were a bit less selfish upon learning of Squall's death.

Zell jumped to his feet. "That...son of a —" he said, storming out of the room.

"...Zell!" Quistis called, belatedly, jumping to her feet as well. "...I'd better go after him. Consider yourselves on standby for the time being."

And she left as well, leaving Selphie, Nida and Rinoa in an awkwardly silent room.

-

Seifer was pacing from end to end of the detention room in Galbadia Garden's Disciplinary Center, which was organized considerably more like a jail than its counterpart in Balamb – there were six rooms in all, covering three of the walls of the larger room where the Disciplinary Committee worked. The room was only a little cramped, with a computer terminal that he hadn't tried to use yet on one side and an armchair on the other, on which he was currently sitting.

There was a window out into the main room so the committee members could keep an eye on him. It also allowed him to see Zell approaching as soon as he entered the main room.

"—Hey!" protested the student who was present. "You can't go in —"

But Zell had already thrown open the door, which apparently was only locked on the inside. "You stupid _IDIOT_!" he bellowed at Seifer.

Seifer was on his feet immediately. "The hell do you want, Chicken-wuss?"

"Shut up!" Zell shouted. "Squall's dead, you know that? They killed him because of your stupid plan!"

Seifer froze. "...What?"

"You've always gotta be Mr. Ego, right?" Zell continued. "You run off and be the big hero, and when you mess everything up, it's everyone else who's gotta deal with it! Well, now Squall had to deal with it by gettin' _executed_! You happy now!"

Seifer turned away, shaking his head.

"An' that's what, like, a day after you keep him from takin' the SeeD exam 'cause you hacked his face open! You almost killed him yourself there! But no, not like _that_ bothers you, 'cause hey, you're Seifer! You can do what you want 'cause you're too good for the rest of us mortals, so why _not_ just kill off your rival – an' maybe your girlfriend too, while you're at i—"

Seifer spun around and punched Zell in the face. It happened so unexpectedly that Zell fell out of the room and landed hard on his back. Immediately, he jumped up and charged back in.

"Zell!" Quistis had arrived seconds earlier; she tried to restrain Zell, but he shook her off and punched Seifer hard in the stomach. Seifer barely even tried to block him. Then Quistis physically placed herself between Zell and Seifer, forcing them apart. "Zell! Behave yourself! _Zell_!" It took a few seconds, but Zell did start to calm down. "Walk away, Zell," she said. "_Go_."

Zell held his ground for another moment. "...Aarghhh!" he exploded, driving his fist into the floor. Then he turned and stalked out, past the G-Garden student who was practically cowering behind his desk.

Quistis turned to Seifer. "...Well," she said, "you've certainly caused a lot of trouble, Seifer. Even by your standards, this is a bad day." Seifer didn't return her gaze, sinking back down into the armchair. "...Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

Seifer was silent, raising a hand to his forehead and shaking his head as if trying to rub something out of his mind. Quistis shook her head and turned to leave.

"...It wasn't supposed to be like this," Seifer muttered, almost to himself. Quistis stopped and turned to frown at him.

"This isn't a game, Seifer," she said. "This is the real world. And you're not the only person in it."

Seifer didn't acknowledge this, and Quistis left.

-

Out in the hall, Quistis paused to lean against the wall and bang the back of her head against it a few times. Seifer and Squall...once they had been Garden's two most promising students. Now Squall was dead, and Seifer would be lucky if the only consequence for him would be expulsion from Garden. And she had instructed both of them.

_I lack the necessary leadership skills_, she thought. _Would another instructor have been able to prevent this?_ She knew it was a question she would never be able to escape.

"_Attention,"_ a voice came over the intercom. _"SeeD Quistis Trepe, please report to the 1F cell block."_

Sighing, Quistis headed off.

The cell block, unlike the disciplinary room, was for people captured in the course of Garden operations, and it legitimately could be called a prison. Quistis stepped into the control room, where security cameras showed views of all 12 cells, including the one in which Deling, still blindfolded, had been placed.

Headmaster Martine was already waiting in the control room.

"Hello, Quistis," he said. "Let's go see the president."

"Then you've made your decision?" Quistis asked.

"In a way, it's become a lot easier. In another way..." Martine shook his head.

Quistis frowned. "Headmaster?"

"Two students from your Garden arrived yesterday with a message from Headmaster Cid," said Martine. "We've confirmed the information ourselves, and events are..." He hesitated. "Well, suffice it to say things are becoming complicated. Let's go."

The guard showed them to an interrogation room, into which Deling was led. He was still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity, but certainly didn't remind Quistis of the Vinzer Deling she had seen on TV.

"We won't be needing the blindfold anymore," Martine said. Quistis glanced at him as one of the guards complied. "Hello, Mr. President."

Deling looked astonished, but not for long. "SeeD," he said contemptuously. "I would have thought you were more intelligent than this, Martine. Once news of your involvement gets out, the Galbadian military will surely crush Garden."

"Actually, no," Martine said. "Under normal circumstances, I'd protest that I had no knowledge of this operation prior to your arriving here. You would refuse to believe me, and I would be forced to make some concession or other to demonstrate my good faith. But as it happens, there's no longer a point."

"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Deling; he was trying to seem in control, Quistis thought, but mostly failing.

"Mr. President, a few hours ago, there was a coup in your country," said Martine. "...Two of them, in fact."

"Y—you're lying!" Deling jumped to his feet. "I demand to speak to my government immediately!"

"I doubt your government wants to speak to you," said Martine. "As a matter of fact, you're much better off if they don't know where you are. And I think you have a good idea as to why."

"This is preposterous!" Deling flustered. But now Quistis didn't believe him either.

Martine folded his arms. "Tell me about the Sorceress, Mr. President."

Deling paled.


	23. Under Her Control

"Hey," asked one of the students hanging around Galbadia Garden. "Aren't you in that para-magic course with me? D'you have the notes for last class?"

"Uh," said Nida. "...I—"

"Oh wait, you're not him. Never mind." The student walked off. Nida sighed.

Zell had been pacing in circles for the past few minutes. "Erghhh..." he said. "How long are they gonna make us wait?"

"Seriously," agreed Selphie. "He's pretty late."

As if on cue, Nida spotted a vehicle approaching. "Maybe that's him?" Rinoa asked, before he could point it out.

Indeed, the car pulled up next to them, and Headmaster Martine stepped out with Quistis. The three other SeeDs saluted. Rinoa stood off to the side, looking awkward.

"Good day," Martine said. "I have official orders from Headmaster Cid addressed to you. Following regulations, I have gone over those orders. In addition, we have been approached independently regarding a similar objective. For logistical purposes, these missions have been combined." He raised an eyebrow. "Actually, we, too, had been planning this for some time now."

"Is this guy bein' totally vague on purpose?" Zell muttered. Quistis shot him a warning glare, and he straightened.

"I've already discussed the particulars of the mission with Quistis," said Martine. "But in order to stress the importance of this mission, I must first brief you on the current situation. At ease." The SeeDs relaxed. "Earlier this morning, senior military officials invoked martial law throughout Galbadia. We presumed this was a response to President Deling's kidnapping, to give the military full authority over the country. But a few hours later, we learned that the military itself had lost control, and someone else entirely now rules Galbadia." He paused. "That someone is the Sorceress Edea."

Nida blinked.

"...The Sorceress?" asked Zell.

"Deling has told us he intended to appoint the Sorceress as an ambassador for peace," Martine went on. "That would have given her a forum to intimidate other nations into submission. But it seems Deling underestimated the Sorceress' own ambition. In any case, it's clear that Galbadia's ultimate goal is world domination. Garden is no exception. Indeed, we expect the Sorceress to use this Garden as her base of operations." He looked each of them in the eyes. "...We have very few options available to us. We entrust world peace, and the future, to you. Any questions?"

"Um?" Rinoa spoke up. "What's gonna be done with Deling?"

"He'll remain here for the moment," Martine said. "If possible, we'll honor your contract, but he is of little value as a hostage now, with the Sorceress running things."

"And Seifer?" asked Zell.

"He'll be transferred back to Balamb Garden at the earliest opportunity for proper disciplinary action. Anything else?" No one spoke up. "...For the purposes of this mission, we're assigning one of Galbadia Garden's elite sharpshooters to your team." He looked off at a guy with long hair, a cowboy hat, and a brown trenchcoat who was lying in the grass nearby. Nida recalled seeing this guy arrive around the same time as the SeeDs had reached the courtyard, but he hadn't bothered to identify himself to anyone. "Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!"

Irvine took his time getting to his feet, picking up his double-barreled shotgun and slinging it over his shoulder in a pose that was probably supposed to look cool. Nida heard Zell groan, and sympathized.

"This is Irvine Kinneas," said Martine. "He'll be your sharpshooter. Leave whenever you're ready." He turned to get back in the car, then hesitated. "Failure is not an option," he added before leaving.

As he left, Irvine pointed after him with a gun gesture. "BANG!"

"...Hi," said Nida.

Irvine gave him a weird look. Or more accurately, a weird look that was different from the weird looks he was giving everyone else. "Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb," he said. "Greetings."

Zell was already shaking. "...So what's our mission?" Nida asked quickly.

"It's a joint order from both Balamb and Galbadia Gardens," Quistis said. "We're to assassinate the Sorceress."

Everyone started – especially Irvine, Nida noticed; for a second he looked genuinely horrified. "We have detailed intelligence regarding her whereabouts," continued Quistis, "and should be able to eliminate her from afar using the sharpshooter." She nodded to Irvine. "If that fails, we'll have to attack head on."

"Hey, thanks for the support," said Irvine, having apparently recovered completely. "But I never miss my target."

"...Shouldn't you have a sniper rifle?" asked Nida, eyeing his shotgun.

"Pfft," said Irvine. "What, like I'm gonna shoot Geezards with it? Are you crazy?"

"The sniper's equipment will all be provided for on-site," said Quistis. "Those are the orders. For the moment, we're going to Deling City, Galbadia's capital. There we'll meet a General Caraway, and go over the details of the plan." She looked at Rinoa, who suddenly looked very surprised. "Rinoa, you're to accompany us. I'm not sure why, but apparently the general mentioned you specifically. This supersedes your contract with Balamb Garden."

Rinoa, who now looked a bit horrified herself, nodded stiffly.

"We'll travel in two teams," Quistis said. "Nida, you lead the second team with Zell and Selphie. Irvine and Rinoa, you're with me."

They all nodded, Irvine most enthusiastically so. "All _right_," he said, looking at the two girls he had been paired with. "I can totally dig this job." Though he gave Selphie a look that suggested his level of digging it could have been improved still further.

Nida was becoming seriously worried about Zell's blood pressure; but Quistis stepped in. "Let's go," she said, with a reproachful look at Irvine – who actually did seem to be somewhat chastened. "We'll meet up at the rail station."

- - **- — -** - -

It was Nida's first time in Deling City, and the sight was impressive, with pavement seeming to stretch to the horizon in every direction. Most of the buildings didn't get very high, but made up for this horizontally. Buses ran constantly along the streets, which was fortunate since it seemed like getting anywhere on foot would take forever.

The group was just stepping out of one such bus outside the Caraway mansion, a large, grandiose structure with an expansive courtyard and a soldier standing guard at the gate.

"I'm Quistis Trepe," said Quistis to the guard. "The General should be expecting us."

The soldier nodded. "Yes, indeed. But I can't just let you walk in."

"I'm sorry?" Quistis asked.

"I was ordered not to let you through until your skills had been tested," said the guard.

"Heey!" exclaimed Selphie. "We _are_ SeeDs, you know!"

"Selphie," Quistis cautioned. "...What does he want us to do?"

"The 'Tomb of the Unknown King' to the northeast," said the guard. "All you have to do is go there. It's real simple, but...you have to bring back proof that you were there. A code number."

"We came all the way out here for some stupid test of courage?" demanded Zell. "Who does he think we are?"

The guard shrugged. "There are many students like yourself who wish to call on General Caraway. There was a student from Galbadia Garden yesterday, who has yet to return from the test at the Tomb of the Unknown King. Your objective is to go to the Tomb of the Unknown King, look for traces of this lost student, and return with his ID number."

Nida thought he got it. Caraway was making sure to treat them like any other students who came to visit him, so as not to arouse suspicion. That, or he'd just forgotten to tell his guard that the future of the world was at stake and to dispense with the usual business, but he found the first possibility more reassuring.

Quistis sighed. "...Very well."

- - **- — -** - -

"Eighty-four," said Quistis that evening, as the party arrived back at the mansion, all visibly the worse for wear.

"That's correct!" said the guard. "Please, right this way."

"May I ask what the purpose of all that was?" Quistis asked as he led them toward the mansion.

"The General wants to make sure his visitors are capable of handling various situations," said the guard.

"But the ID number was right inside the entrance," Quistis protested. "If we hadn't gone looking for that GF, it wouldn't even have been difficult."

"It is a pretty cool GF, though!" Zell chimed in.

The guard jumped. "Wait, you actually _defeated_ the GF?"

"Yeah, man!" said Zell. "We're SeeDs! You think you can tell us about some mysterious GF an' then not have us go lookin' for it?"

Quistis just folded her arms. "Satisfied with our skills now?"

They had reached the entrance, where Rinoa hesitated. "Um," she asked Nida. "...Is my contract still in effect? I know this mission takes priority, but..."

"It's...complicated," said Nida, trying not to think about the possibility of going back to the Forest Owls after all this. "Why?"

"Just...don't leave me in this house, okay?" she asked. They were almost at the door; she grabbed Nida's arm as he was about to go through. She didn't look exactly scared, but she was definitely serious. "Promise me?"

"...Sure," said Nida.

They went up a flight of stairs to a waiting room on the building's second floor, where the guard disappeared behind another set of ornate doors, to reappear a few moments later. "Rinoa," he said. "He'd like to see you."

Rinoa gulped. "...All right." The others looked more than a little confused. "I'm just gonna go talk to him," she said to them, walking to the door. "...Oh, by the way — this is my house. So don't worry."

Nida blinked, as Rinoa turned and walked out.

"...What the hell's goin' on?" demanded Zell.

"This is...getting strange," Quistis agreed.

-

Rinoa hadn't been in the building for nearly a year, but it looked exactly the same. Really, the building had been all but static for as long as she could remember; nothing in the place had really changed since her childhood.

With one major exception.

"Hello, Rinoa," said the general. "You've certainly been busy lately."

She folded her arms and didn't answer.

"It _was_ you who was involved in the kidnapping of the president, wasn't it?" he asked. "You and those SeeDs. If not for everything else that's happened, you would have put me in a terrible position. I might not have been able to keep you out of prison."

"I never asked you to!" snapped Rinoa. "I can make my own choices, okay? And this is something I believe in!"

"You don't have any idea how much trouble you've caused," said the general. "And I don't just mean yesterday. We've been tracking your activities for some time, but until now it was decided that your arrest would cause more embarrassment than it was worth."

Rinoa rocked backward a little on her heels. "...You've been _spying_ on me?"

"You've been trying to overthrow the government," said the general. "I think I'm entitled." He shook his head. "Honestly, Rinoa, why bring Timber into this? If it's between us —"

"It's not about you!" Rinoa shouted. "It's about what I want! And I'm not gonna let you deny Timber freedom!"

The general shook his head sadly. "I have a duty, Rinoa," he said. "Please don't interfere with it."

"That's always what it's about with you, isn't it?" demanded Rinoa. "'My duties demand it' or 'I have obligations for this and that.' So what, you brought SeeD here 'cause of your duty too?"

"Yes, I did," he said. "Because the Sorceress actually _has_ overthrown the government, and I can't let that stand. Rinoa, please. Don't make yourself an enemy like her."

"Or you'll hire someone to assassinate me?" Rinoa asked challengingly.

"Of course not," said the general. "Rinoa, whatever you believe, I want only the best for you. But the path you're on will only lead to disaster. Please." Rinoa just folded her arms and glared at him. "...I need to go over the business with your SeeD companions. Please wait in your room. We'll continue this later."

"It's not _my_ room," said Rinoa. "And I don't have anything else to say to you." She turned and left.

The General sighed, and turned to the guard who had been standing passively by the door. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere," he said.

Then he walked out to the waiting room. "I'm sorry for the delay. Please come in."

-

The SeeDs plus Irvine entered Caraway's office. "...Where's Rinoa?" asked Nida, looking around.

"She has not received the type of training you all have," said Caraway, "and may become a burden. It's for the best that she stays out of this operation."

"So you're Rinoa's father?" asked Selphie.

Caraway smiled wanly. "I can't remember the last time she called me that."

Nida raised an eyebrow. "And that's why you wanted us to bring her here?" he asked. "Are you going to force her to stay?"

"That isn't your concern," Caraway said cooly.

"Don't I wish," muttered Nida.

"...Man." Zell was shaking his head. "So the father's a top military officer, and the daughter's a member of an anti-government faction? That's bad...Really BAD!"

Nida guessed Caraway already knew about Rinoa's involvement in the Forest Owls, but still he winced at the outburst.

Now Caraway was eyeing Zell. "Yes, indeed, it's a serious problem. But at the moment, we have far more important things to worry about."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Irvine, stepping forward with a faux-authoritative tone. "We're here to knock off the Sorceress, right? Let's get down to business."

Caraway didn't give him a very approving look either; but he nodded. "...Okay. Let me explain the plan.

"The Sorceress has arranged for a large parade to be held tonight to inaugurate her rule. The event had to be adjusted somewhat after President Deling was kidnapped —" he gave the SeeDs a look "— but we know the relevant details. It's at this event that the Sorceress will announce her intentions. It's also when she'll be at her most vulnerable."

"Just tell us what you want us to do," Quistis said.


	24. Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec

It was after dark by the time Caraway's briefing ended; outside, a large crowd had already gathered. Nida was trying to ignore how hard his heart was already starting to beat.

"It's time to form the teams," Caraway said. "The sniper and the leader of this operation will form the 'sniper team.' The leader's role is vital: If the plan fails for some reason, or should the sniper miss...the leader must carry out a direct assault on the Sorceress." He looked at them one by one. "This plan was devised carefully, because we intend this to be a covert operation. But our ultimate goal is to eliminate the Sorceress, and we must achieve this at all cost — even if they uncover our identities. So, who's going to lead the operation?"

Zell and Selphie looked at Nida. Nida and Irvine looked at Quistis. Quistis closed her eyes and sighed. "...I will."

"Fine," said Caraway. "I'll leave the rest up to you."

Quistis nodded. "...Nida, I want you to lead the 'gateway team.' Zell and Selphie, you're with Nida."

"Whoo-hoo!" Selphie acknowledged.

"Let's DO IT!" added Zell.

_We're dead_, thought Nida. "Roger," he said.

Caraway nodded. "Okay, let's begin."

He left. Quistis and Irvine followed, leaving Nida, Zell and Selphie alone in the room.

"...I guess we'd better go, too," said Nida. But he hesitated, wondering about Rinoa. They might not be able to return to Caraway's mansion after the operation; and besides, Caraway hadn't seemed particularly keen on the idea of Rinoa leaving. Since they still had some time before the operation would start, it might be prudent to try to track her down now.

A second later, Rinoa came running through the door, saving him the trouble. "Hi!" she said cheerily. "Finally got out of there! ...Did that man say something?"

Zell shrugged. "No, not really."

"...We were just leaving to assassinate the Sorceress," said Nida.

"Yeah, about that! Hold on a sec." Rinoa produced a large, ornate bangle. Nida couldn't help but wonder where she'd been hiding it. "Take a look at this! It's called an Odine bangle; I found it in that man's room."

"Odine!" Zell exclaimed.

"Whatcha gonna do with it?" asked Selphie, leaning in to examine the item.

"It's supposed to suppress the Sorceress' powers!" said Rinoa. "But, its effects are still unknown. So I don't think they're going to use it for this mission."

"If it's Odine brand, it should be pretty effective!" said Zell enthusiastically. "They're No.1 when it comes to magical goods."

"Right, right!" Rinoa agreed, nodding vigorously. "So I figured we could use it instead of that man's plan!"

"...I dunno," said Nida. "That sounds kind of like a bad idea."

"Oh, come on!" said Rinoa. "This way, we can incapacitate the Sorceress! Then we can interrogate her for information."

"Uh, how do we use it?" Nida asked. "I mean, do we just walk up to the Sorceress and say, 'Hey, dare you to try on this weird magic bangle!'?"

Rinoa shrugged. "I dunno! That's what we're going to discuss."

Nida shook his head. "Look, it's...Irvine and Quistis are already waiting. So we should go."

He started toward the exit, but Rinoa wasn't done arguing. "Well, why can't we at least talk about it?" she demanded.

"There's no time," Nida said. "And we've already _got_ a plan."

"Don't you want your plan to have the best possible outcome?" pressed Rinoa. "Why won't you even _listen_ to —"

"It won't work!" Nida exclaimed. He was beginning to feel exasperated. "It's completely not practical! Look, I know you don't really trust your father, but —"

"It's not about that!" Rinoa interrupted. "Don't treat me like a child!"

"Well, don't _act_ like one!" snapped Nida. "This mission's a big deal for us, and we're not gonna turn it upside down just because of your family issues!"

"Woah, man," Zell said. Nida caught himself, and his eyes widened at his own outburst.

Rinoa recoiled, looking absolutely stricken. "...I know how important this is," she said quietly. "...It's not like I don't have a plan."

"Uh..." Nida said. "...Look, why don't you...bring the...bangle. Maybe it'll be useful for...something." Rinoa wasn't making eye contact. "...We'd better get going."

-

"Hey," said Irvine as he and Quistis made for the Presidential residence "So like...is it true SeeDs aren't supposed to question their mission?"

"Hm?" asked Quistis. "...Those issues can be a distraction. SeeDs must focus on making sure the mission succeeds."

"Well, yeah, sure," said Irvine. "But like...if you knew that your enemies were pure evil, you'd get more fired up to fight them, right?"

_I wonder what he's driving at...,_ Quistis thought. "Things are rarely that simple. That's why it's best not to focus on them."

"...Yeah," agreed Irvine. Quistis frowned at him; he had a very distant expression on his face.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

Irvine nodded. "You bet, Quisty!" he said, a little too casually. "Let's do this!"

Quistis shook her head.

The five regrouped with Caraway at a high, stone gateway. An ominous-looking wrought-iron portcullis was raised at either end of the gateway; the machinery probably hadn't been used in a very long time, but appeared still to be functional.

"The 'gateway team' will wait inside the gate until 20:00," Caraway said. "You can enter through this door. The Sorceress will pass through the gateway at exactly 20:00; in that instant, lower the gates using the control console located on the top floor and trap her inside the gateway."

The gateway team nodded, and entered the door; Caraway led Quistis and Irvine off to their position.

"Man, this Caraway guy's bein' really hands-on with all this," said Zell. "If we get caught, you'd think he wouldn't want to be seen anywhere near us."

"He probably doesn't trust that we can pull it off," said Nida. _Speaking of which..._ He poked his head out the door and looked around. "So where'd Rinoa go?" He knew she had been hiding so Caraway wouldn't see her, but Caraway was now gone and Nida still couldn't see Rinoa anywhere.

"Umm..." said Selphie. "...You don't think she went to...?"

Nida groaned. "Let's hope not."

"Well, shouldn't we go look for her? I mean, what if something happens?"

"...We can't leave our position," said Nida. "If Rinoa used to live here, she must know her way around this town. She should be fine."

-

"Umm...excuse me?" Rinoa asked of the shadowy figure seated in the middle of the room. Getting into the Presidential Residence had been surprisingly easy; apart from those lining the street, there didn't seem to be any guards at all. "I'm...the daughter of, um...Galbadian Army's, um...General Caraway. I...thought I'd...come pay my respects...You know...'cause of my father and all." She held out the Odine bangle, which previously had been hidden behind her back. "So, I...um...brought you a small gift. Please."

She edged forward a bit further; the Sorceress remained perfectly still. Then there was a flash, and Rinoa was thrown several meters backward. The bangle suddenly seemed to be several hundred degrees warmer, but she couldn't bring herself to put it down; a strange energy seemed to be coursing through her from the object — which wasn't remotely like what the bangle was supposed to be doing.

In the moment before she blacked out, Rinoa realized why the Sorceress apparently hadn't needed any guards.

-

"Here she comes," said Irvine, who with Quistis was standing at a prime spot near the balcony of Galbadia's Presidential Residence. Sorceress Edea, wearing an outfit dominated by what appeared to be half a ship's wheel, was approaching the podium above them. Seeing her, Quistis got the oddest feeling, as if she was seeing someone she knew she ought to recognize from somewhere else, but couldn't place.

In any case, she certainly recognized the dazed-looking girl who accompanied the Sorceress onto the balcony.

"H...Hey...," Irvine said. "That girl...!"

"Oh, no," Quistis said, sighing.

-

"So..." said Zell. "We're just suppose'ta wait here?"

"Yeah," said Nida. "...We've got about 30 minutes left."

"Great." Zell began shadow-boxing. "I don't see why we need all this 'sniper' and 'gateway team' business, anyway. Why can't we just take the Sorceress down, like POW!" He demonstrated with a knockout blow to his nonexistent opponent.

"That wouldn't be very covert," said Nida.

"Neither is crashin' a giant gate down on top of her," Zell pointed out. "Especially if we're right on top of her while we're doin' it."

"Yeah, but..." Nida frowned. "...that's a pretty good point, actually."

There was a deep _thump_ somewhere outside. "...Did anyone else hear that?" asked Selphie.

"Man, sounds like somethin' crashing into the wall," said Zell. The sound repeated itself. "An...then crashing into it again?" Curious, he leaned out the window overlooking the parade route, scanning the area.

A lizardlike head that was about he size of his entire body appeared outside the window as he was doing so. "WOAH!" Zell exclaimed, jumping backward. The head turned away and disappeared from view. "What the hell was THAT?"

"A giant...lizard-monster?" asked Nida, looking out the window himself. The creature, and another like it, was now running down the street towards the Presidential Residence.

"The hell'd _those_ get into the city?" asked Zell.

"I dunno," said Nida. "...I just hope they're not gonna cause any trouble."

-

The first thing Rinoa realized when she came to was that she was standing, which wasn't usually the case when she woke up.

The second thing she realized was that a pair of giant lizard-monsters were diving straight at her. Shrieking, she ducked as they landed nearly on top of her, then looked frantically around for a place to hide.

For a moment, she was stuck hiding from the creatures behind the podium, a plan that was more or less doomed to fail as there were two of them and they came at her from both sides. She fired her boomerang into one's nose as it snapped at her, then ran past it toward the doors leading into the residence. She had barely managed to slip through before both creatures had caught up, knocking open the doors with ease but then both trying to pass through the doorway at once, and getting stuck.

Rinoa took the opportunity to make a run for the exit, but the monsters recovered quickly enough for one to charge forward and cut off her escape. Rinoa fired her boomerang again, but the weapon just bounced off, and she didn't have a chance to recover it properly.

Frantically seeking some other means to defend herself, Rinoa ducked behind the chair in which the Sorceress had been sitting. "Get back!" she said, picking up the chair and trying to use it to fend off the monsters. The monster was not impressed, chomping down on the chair and knocking it out of her hand. Rinoa stood frozen in shock as the other prepared to do much the same with her head.

Then a dark, furry object slammed into the monster from the side. The monster growled, and Rinoa managed to retreat backward into a cluster of drapes as Angelo faced off with the two giant lizard-creatures.

The confrontation did not last long, however; one of the creatures bounded right over Angelo, smacking her with its giant lion's tail hard enough to knock her away from the first. Rinoa tried to find someplace to hide as the drapes collapsed around her, but the monsters were upon her in no time.

She closed her eyes, curling up into a ball with her arms covering her head — which she knew wouldn't help at all, but she couldn't think of anything else that would. She could feel the monsters hovering over her; they had no breath, but a sort of terrifying cold seemed to radiate from them, and their growls were so close that they seemed to be whispering into her ear.

Why weren't they mauling her now?

Rinoa opened her eyes a crack just in time to see one of the monsters recoil under a shotgun blast. Both monsters quickly spun around toward Irvine and Quistis, who were now standing at the opposite end of the room.

"Help!" Rinoa called, probably unnecessarily. Even as she did, one of the monsters charged forward, tackling Irvine with an enraged roar.

—

"How much longer?" Selphie asked. She was now sitting on the windowsill, balanced a bit too precariously for Nida's liking, and bouncing a rubber ball off the opposite frame.

"About 12 minutes," said Nida, checking his watch.

"Man, how boring," said Zell. "We could'a taken the Sorceress ourselves out by now." He pointed to the distant parade float on which the Sorceress presumably rested; it was now making its rounds through the town.

"We don't have any idea how strong she is," Nida pointed out.

"Yeah, well..." said Zell. "We're supposed'ta attack her head on anyway if the sniper fails! I'd sooner just get it over with."

Selphie accidentally bounced her ball a bit too far off to the side, and it flew out the window onto the street below. "Oh!" she said, trying to catch it and nearly falling out the window herself. "...Aww. ...Heey, anyone for cards?"

"Yeah, sure," shrugged Zell. "Anything for somethin' to do."

-

Quistis caught one of the Iguions across the mouth with her chain whip as it tried to bite her arm off. Irvine, who was pinned under the foot of the other one, managed to deliver a double-barreled shotgun blast into its skull; the monster fell over with an aggrieved screech.

Irvine looked down at his chest where the Iguion's claws had been, and discovered that his jacket now had holes torn in them from its claws. "Okay, _that's_ it," he said, and withdrew a pair of tubes that he rammed into his shotgun. "Watch this!"

And he fired off about twenty shots at the Iguion in rapid succession. The creature shook like it was being electrocuted, and Quistis hit it with a bolt of magic to finish it off. Then they turned on the last one; with Irvine blasting it from one side and Quistis attacking from the other, they managed to keep it disoriented for the ten more seconds it took to finish the monster off.

"Rinoa, are you —" Quistis started, but Irvine was already running to her side. Rinoa was still sitting against the wall, hugging her legs.

"Are you okay, Rinoa?" asked Irvine.

Rinoa didn't stop staring at where the Iguions had been. "...I was scared," she said. "...Really scared."

"Don't worry," said Irvine. "It's all over now. We're here."

"Rinoa, what were you doing up here?" asked Quistis.

Rinoa looked around the room as if just remembering where she was. "...I just wanted to help," she said. "But I couldn't...I just couldn't..."

"It's okay," Quistis said, putting her hand on Rinoa's shoulder. "Just stay with us from now on."

After another moment, Rinoa nodded. The three of them made their way to the clock tower; resting among the machinery was a high-powered sniper rifle, which Irvine silently picked up. He then sat down without a word, closing his eyes.

Quistis could still hear the crowd outside, still cheering. She had seen the Sorceress' float pass by as she and Irvine had made their way into the presidential residence; the parade had indeed been quite spectacular. She kept thinking there was something very important she should know about the Sorceress; she had no idea what it was or where this feeling came from, but it was the most persistent impression she had from the parade so far.

That, and one other thing.

-

"Hey, they're turnin' this way!" said Zell.

"Get away from the window," said Nida. "We don't want them to see us."

"Yeah, sure man," said Zell. He didn't get away from the window, though. "Wait a minute..." Then he did, although this mostly as a consequence of his recoiling in shock. "Woah!" Th...that's...on the...that's—" he said, pointing toward the float.

"?" Nida ventured a look out the window, as did Selphie. Standing at the front of the float to the Sorceress' right was a figure in a familiar-looking black leather outfit, with gunblade in hand. "...That's _Squall_."

"He doesn't look that dead," said Selphie, frowning. "I mean, he's not moving a lot, but..."

"I guess he wasn't executed after all," Nida agreed.

Zell was shaking his head. "Man, what the hell is going on here?"

-

The procession was intricately choreographed; the float, equipped with torches and a neon halo, glided through the city with a smoothness that was meant to evoke that of the Sorceress herself. Its only accompaniment was a troupe of dancers – natives of the Dingo desert region, who were mainly there to add to the event's exotic nature. The Sorceress didn't have any real connection to any of the costuming and scenery, but that wasn't really the point; when surrounded by it, she seemed all the more otherworldly herself.

Squall had already guessed that he was just part of the scenery – the Sorceress' knight, the only guard she needed though she had an army at her command. He didn't care that he was being used; for him, _that_ wasn't the point.

The float was on the final leg of its trip through the city now; then it would be back to the presidential residence and on to the actual work. That was when the part that really mattered would begin.

They were coming up on the one of the gates that marked the edge of the old center city, when a commotion erupted among the crowd. Squall frowned; one of the Galbadian soldiers with riot gear seemed to be wrestling with a clump of people, but he couldn't quite tell why. Then there was a flash, and the soldier flew backwards, landing right in front of the float. The float itself ground to a halt.

Then another figure emerged from the crowd. Squall recognized him immediately, and put a hand to his forehead. The newcomer wasted no time, charging straight towards the float and vaulting onto it with the kind of jump only a GF could allow.

"Hey, Squall," said Seifer, raising his gunblade. "Thought you were dead."

"Don't interfere, Seifer," said Squall. "You don't belong here."

"The hell I don't!" Seifer yelled. "This is MY dream! And I'm not letting you have it!"

-

"It's almost time," Quistis said, looking at her watch. The sound of the crowd had changed, become more hushed; for her part, she felt herself getting a bit edgy. She hadn't been on a mission since becoming an instructor, save the SeeD exam; she wasn't quite used to being in the field again – and certainly not on an assignment as important as this.

Irvine didn't seem to be doing well either. He had been sitting and hugging the rifle for some time now, and had yet to say anything glib or offensive. "...Irvine, are you ready?" she asked, but got no response. "...Irvine?"

Then he shook his head. "...I can't," he said. "I...I can't do it."

"What?" Quistis knelt down beside him. "What do you mean?"

"I...I'm sorry," said Irvine. "I can't do it. I always freeze like this. ...I try to act cool, joke around, but I just can't handle the pressure..."

Quistis shook her head. "Irvine, you wouldn't be here if you couldn't handle it," she said. _What the hell was Martine thinking?_ she thought. "This is just what you trained for."

"My bullet...The Sorceress...I'll go down in history." Irvine was shaking his head. "I'd change the history of Galbadia...of the world!"

"Irvine, if this goes well, no one will ever know," said Quistis. "Just focus."

"I can't!" Irvine insisted. "It's all too much...the Sorceress and...and now Squall..."

Quistis blinked. "What?" She had seen Squall on the parade float, but hadn't said anything to Irvine. "How do you know Squall?"

There was a rumbling as the machine hummed to life. Quistis checked her watch; it was 20:00. "...No, forget that for now," she said. "Everyone's waiting, Irvine; we have to..."

She trailed off as the carousel clock reached the roof and she got her first view of the scene before them. It was immediately clear that something was wrong: the float was near the gate, but by no means under it. And it wasn't moving. And there was some kind of commotion around it.

"Let me see that," she said to Irvine, grabbing for the sniper rifle. However, he kept clutching it tightly to himself. "...All right. Irvine, I just need you to look through the scope and tell me what's happening down there. Just look, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Irvine nodded. "I'll just...I'll just look." Slowly, he raised the rifle to its ready position, and peered through the sniper scope. As he did, his nervousness was replaced by something closer to stupefaction. "What the...?"

-

"Man, what is Seifer doing?" asked Zell. The three SeeDs had basically given up secrecy, and were openly watching the fight unfold below them.

"Looks like he's tryin' to take out the Sorceress," said Selphie. "...Heey, he's doing our job again!"

"Yeah, but how'd he get outta detention in G-Garden?" asked Zell.

"How'd Squall get out of being executed?" asked Nida. "None of this makes sense."

"Should we help him or something?" asked Selphie.

"We can't without revealing ourselves as SeeDs," said Nida. "There's a chance the original plan could still work. And win or lose, I think Seifer'd want to do this on his own."

-

Seifer parried a blow by Squall, and nearly fell off the float in the process. The space was too confined for a really decent fight here, but this one wasn't about style anyway. It was personal.

"You think you can be a Sorceress' knight?" he demanded. "You don't even know what it means!"

"Blizzaga," Squall replied, and Seifer shuddered as a giant block of ice momentarily permeated his body.

"Fine!" said Seifer. "I'll play like that! Fira!"

Squall withstood the blast, and charged him with a series of gunblade swings that threw Seifer off balance again. Seifer finally managed to get a parry in, but Squall just spun his weapon in an arc, nearly connecting with Seifer's leg. Finally, Seifer had to kick him to get himself some space.

"You know, Squall, this does kind of suit you," he said. "I always thought you'd make a good lap dog."

He made a feint, which Squall fell for like he always did; then he brought the weapon back to slice Squall across the arm. Squall winced, but knocked Seifer's gunblade away with enough force to forestall a follow-up blow.

Then it was as if Squall had gone into overdrive. He charged forward with so much force that simple physics dictated Seifer couldn't hold his ground. His gunblade seemed to be coming at Seifer from every direction in such rapid succession that he could just barely keep up; the weapon cut through Seifer's jacket, pants and skin. Seifer tried to parry him off-balance to regain the initiative, but Squall responded with such force that Seifer nearly lost control of his gunblade, and his arm did fly wide.

He saw Squall's gunblade flash in front of his face, tracing upward at an angle from right to left, just before his vision exploded in pain. Even with the GF reinforcing his stamina, his vision disappeared in a mottled red blur, and he felt as if he had stuck his nose into a fire.

His eyesight recovered just in time to see Squall had reverse the grip on his gunblade and drive the weapon into Seifer's torso, just below his ribcage.

Seifer coughed; blood splattered on Squall's coat. Stumbling backwards, he looked down at the wound; his own coat was quickly becoming stained with red. More blood fell from his face, past it to begin puddling on the floor.

"I...lost...?" he gasped, stumbling back again. His gunblade slipped from his hand, clanging on the float's edge before falling to the street. He had to focus just to keep his vision straight.

Squall shook his head. "You're pathetic, Seifer."

Seifer's eyes wandered to the Sorceress, who was looking straight back at him. At first, her expression seemed one of total disgust, and Seifer felt a horrible sinking feeling in his gut to go along with the pain and bleeding. But then he thought he could see something else in her eyes — something completely different.

Then something whizzed past Seifer's ear, and the Sorceress started. Suddenly off balance, she raised a hand to her chest, where a spot of red had appeared under her right collarbone, and was beginning to bleed. At first, she seemed enraged; but then her expression changed completely, to one much closer to relief.

This happened in the space of about four seconds; then both of them collapsed. The Sorceress fell to the floor of the float; Squall was kneeling over her, screaming. Seifer fell backwards off the float, falling for what felt like an eternity into a deep, darkening tunnel.

He barely felt himself hit the ground.


	25. Rivals

The streets had erupted into all-out pandemonium; soldiers and riot police were trying to restrain a crowd that had suddenly been thrown into a frenzy, and Quistis thought she heard gunshots ringing out in the distance. It hadn't taken long for her to figure out that they should make themselves as hidden as possible.

She slid the manhole cover back into place above her before descending the ladder into the Deling City sewers. Rinoa and Irvine were already waiting at the base, though Irvine was shaking and appeared to be in the midst of a nervous breakdown.

"S...she's dead," he said to no one in particular. "I shot...my bullet killed her. How could I...?"

"Irvine, it's all right," Quistis said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He didn't seem to notice at all. "You did your duty." She felt the sick feeling that had been tugging at her own gut ever since she had seen the Sorceress fall, and suppressed it. "We have to find our way to the edge of town. Hopefully these sewers will lead us to another outlet." She picked a direction at random and did her best to sound authoritative. "This way."

The sewers were arranged in a maze-like pattern that Quistis worried she was getting lost in; after several minutes of right-angle turns, she had only modest confidence that they weren't being led in circles. When she heard footsteps coming from ahead of them, she half-worried they were Galbadians sent to pursue them, and she had been turned around completely.

"Who's there?" she called.

There was a second's pause. "Hello?" asked Nida's voice.

The two groups were reunited seconds later. "Thank goodness you're alright," said Quistis upon seeing Zell and Selphie. "...Could you confirm the kill? Is the Sorceress...?"

"We saw her go down," Nida said. "We couldn't get close, though."

"Yeah," said Zell, looking dazed. "The soldiers were taking her away, but this huge riot broke out. Oh—they took Seifer too."

"Seifer?" Rinoa exclaimed. "Was he okay?" Zell shook his head; she sank to her knees, arms crossed protectively over her chest. "Oh, no..."

"We need to get in contact with Garden," said Quistis. "Report the situation."

"I dunno," said Nida. "This'll probably make the news."

Quistis frowned. "Do you have something else in mind?"

Nida winced, looking unsure whether he ought to be speaking. "...Sort of."

- - **- — -** - -

_Where am I...?_

Apart from the pain, Seifer first became aware of the voices; they seemed distant, muffled so he couldn't hear them. Next was a dripping noise, coming from somewhere nearby. Then, he realized his hands were cuffed and secured above his head.

Opening his eyes, he saw a dank stone room with a single iron door and a naked light bulb providing illumination. There were four sets of cuffs hanging from the ceiling, and he hung from one of them. He looked down at his side; his wound was still there, but appeared to have been partially healed with a Cure spell. It still hurt like hell, but at least he wouldn't be dying from _that_.

The voices stopped just outside the door, which groaned open. A Galbadian soldier stepped into the room, accompanied by Squall. The soldier stood by the door, while Squall slowly walked up to Seifer. Squall's expression, Seifer saw, looked harsher than anything he had seen on the other boy before, suggesting a particularly potent form of rage.

"...What's up, Squall?" he croaked.

Squall punched him in the gut, sending a sharp wave of pain from his wound. "...Aah!" Seifer protested, shaking at his bonds, glaring at Squall. The wound across his nose was throbbing again, too. "Let me go and try that again!"

"That was your plan, wasn't it?" asked Squall. "You distract me, while SeeD kills the Sorceress from afar?"

"At the risk of flattering your ego, Squall, what happened was between you and me," Seifer said. "I dunno what Garden had planned for the Sorceress, and I don't care."

Squall just kept glaring at him. "How many others were there?" he asked. "One? Two? We know about the sniper from G-Garden. And there's nowhere for the others to go. Don't waste time trying to be noble."

Seifer snorted. The action produced a jab of pain from his facial wound, and he winced, which also hurt. "...You know what, Squall?" he said, leaning forward as best he could given his constraints. "You're really bad at this."

Squall's hand shot up to Seifer's throat. Seifer gagged, and tried to shake his neck free from Squall's vise-like grip. Squall's face was so tense with rage that Seifer thought the cut across his own nose might start bleeding again, though it was tough to see clearly with the spots popping up in front of his eyes.

"Is this your dream, Seifer?" Squall demanded. "Moments like this? Would you enjoy causing pain to the Sorceress' enemies? Is that the sort of thing you strive for?"

Seifer, who couldn't have responded if he had wanted to, simply glared at Squall and gurgled a bit.

"Commander Squall?" The voice came from a blurry silhouette who was standing in the doorway.

Squall threw Seifer backwards; Seifer banged against the wall and swung from the cuffs, coughing and struggling to catch his breath, to say nothing of his composure. Then Squall turned to the silhouette, which Seifer managed to resolve into the form of another Galbadian soldier. "What is it?"

"You wanted to be informed of the timetable," said the soldier. "The missile base projects launch readiness in another 12 hours."

"That's too long," said Squall.

"It's the best they can do, sir," said the soldier. "Also, they confirmed they can only target one Garden at a time."

"Understood." The soldier saluted, and left; Squall turned back to Seifer.

"You're gonna destroy the Gardens," said Seifer, trying hard not to croak out the words.

"I don't have a choice," said Squall. "They made themselves Edea's enemies."

"Attacking from afar." Seifer snorted. "You could at least have the courage to betray them face-to-face."

Squall took a step forward, eyes smoldering. "Say what you want, Seifer. You've failed. Failed at everything."

Seifer drew himself into the haughtiest pose he could manage, glaring down at Squall and trying not to break into a coughing fit. Squall didn't look impressed.

"The Sorceress will recover," Squall said. "And she'll go on. You can't stop her — and you can't have her." With that, he turned to the other soldier, who was still standing by the door. "We'll move him to the 'Desert Prison,' and continue the interrogation there." The soldier left, and Squall started for the exit as well.

"Giving up already?" Seifer called. "I didn't _think_ you really had it in you."

Squall paused at the door, and turned back around. The light was horrible, so Seifer couldn't see more than a hint of his face. "We're just getting started, Seifer," he said. "But right now, you're not worth my time."

And he left, closing the door behind him.

-

"You two will accompany the prisoner in the 'transport vehicle,'" said the colonel in charge of security for Deling City. "If he's any trouble, subdue him."

"Yeah, yeah." Captain Biggs saluted sharply, and the colonel turned and left. "...Jackass. Who does he think he is, anyway? Like I've never dealt with a prisoner before?"

"He might just be concerned," ventured the other soldier. "This prisoner did attack the Sorceress."

"Don't give me that, Wedge!" Biggs snapped. "We did our country proud in Dollet, fixin' that transmitter! Hell, we didn't even need to use the prototype Black Widow! An' how do we get repaid? We're demoted, and now we're put on prison duty! _Prison duty_, Wedge! It's an insult!"

"Uh, sir —"

"Don't interrupt me, Wedge! Now, if you ask me, Galbadia owes us one! Especially these tight-ass glorified security guards who wouldn't know combat if it came up and socked 'em one, you know what I mean?" He gestured out at the city, roads still littered with debris and smoke still rising from recently extinguished fires, signs of the previous night's rioting. "Like last night — they couldn't even keep a bunch of _civilians_ under control!"

"Sir, he's —"

"These guys wouldn't last 10 seconds in the _real_ heat of battle!" said Biggs. "But that's not us, Wedge! We've been there! We _survived_! And we're gonna _make_ them respect that! I tell you, inside of a month, we'll be _running_ that prison! An' then we'll see what that condescending son of a —"

"Ahem."

Biggs spun around to see that the colonel had returned, and was glaring at him. "Gaah!" he said, jumping to attention.

"The prisoner's coming out now," said the colonel. "Be ready to depart." He glared at Biggs a moment longer before departing.

"...We sure showed him, didn't we, sir?" asked Wedge.

"Shut up, Wedge!" Biggs snapped.

Two more soldiers appeared, escorting the prisoner. Biggs barely paid attention; it was insulting for an officer to be relegated to baby-sitting prisoner transfers, and one of Biggs' stature could just as easily do it in his sleep.

Then he noticed the identity of the prisoner in question.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" said Biggs, Wedge and Seifer in unison.

Biggs recovered first. "S-so we meet again! I knew it was just a matter of time before we put your meddling to an end!"

"Aw, man," said Seifer. "Do I have to be stuck with these guys the whole time?" he called towards the colonel.

"You shut your mouth!" Biggs shouted.

"Should we get him onto the truck and move out, sir?" asked Wedge.

"Not now, Wedge!" snapped Biggs. He pointed to Seifer. "You! Get onto the truck! We're moving out!"

—

Caraway hadn't slept at all that night. He'd seen the monsters attack Rinoa on TV, and the fact that no bodies had been found did not go far to reassure him. Moreover, he couldn't get clear information about the assassination attempt; as the night had gone on, the soldiers had told him less and less; he could feel himself being cut out of the loop, with Edea's knight usurping his role and taking charge of the military. But the fact that he could do this at all, let alone so quickly, told Caraway all he needed to know about how the operation had fared.

The one night in his life he hadn't played matters by the book, and he might have lost everything he'd had left.

At the moment, he was in his study, looking out the window. Soldiers were still out on the streets and a curfew was in effect; the city had the look of a place under occupation. Caraway didn't know how long this would go on for; that was another decision from which he had been excluded.

The door opened to admit the head of his personal guard. "There's still no news concerning your daughter, General," he said.

Caraway didn't look at the man. "Would I be informed if there was?"

His guard hesitated. "...Commander Leonhart is here to see you," he said finally.

Caraway frowned. It would be very nice to get some answers from the boy, but he doubted that was the purpose of his visit. "Very well. Show him in."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Squall enter, flanked by a pair of Galbadian Elite Soldiers stepped into the room. He turned to face them.

"General...," said one of the soldiers; then he hesitated and glanced at Squall. "Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to come with us."

"May I ask why?" he asked. Squall folded his arms, but didn't speak.

"We have orders," said the soldier. "A direct command to be executed on Sorceress Edea's behalf."

"Then the Sorceress is alive," said Caraway. "Why was I not informed of this sooner?"

Squall shook his head, looking frustrated. "Hurry it up," he said to the soldiers.

The first soldier winced. "...General Caraway, you are under arrest for complicity in the attempt on Sorceress Edea's life," said the soldier. "You are to be jailed immediately. Please don't resist."

Caraway had been fully aware of this as a possible outcome if the plan were to fail. Still, with him out of the picture and the Sorceress alive, he feared the rest of the military would not attempt any further resistance to her will. Things were now even worse than before. And all his actions had been for nothing.

"Very well," he said, sighing. "I suppose we should go, then."

—

Altogether, four soldiers joined Seifer in the transport vehicle's rear compartment, and they had been on the road for several minutes. Its horizontal slit of a rear window was shuttered, leaving him no way to see where the craft was going, or whether it was alone or part of a convoy, or anything else that might be useful. Breaking out would have been tricky anyway, even though he still had his GF; his gunblade was nowhere to be seen, and restraints were quite secure, and there appeared to be a low-level anti-magic field in the car.

"You guys don't think the Sorceress'll just let you live your happy, normal lives, do you?" he asked. "Don't you know anything about what they do?"

"That's enough outta you!" said Biggs. "You think you can incite my men? We're trained professionals, you little twerp!"

"Sir, what if he's right?" whispered Wedge. "You know all those things they said about Adel..."

"Don't _you_ start, Wedge!" Biggs snapped. "Edea's our leader, and that's that! The next time I hear someone try to incite an insurrection in here, I'll —" He was cut off as the vehicle lurched. "What the hell was THAT!"

The transport lurched again, as if the driver was swerving on the road and barely in control. Then there was a loud grinding noise, and Seifer felt the reverberation of an impact; the swerving became more pronounced, and the car began to shake to boot. Then it started spinning, coming to rest on its side after two or three revolutions had sent the soldiers and Seifer into an ignoble pile on the wall.

Seifer's first instinct was to grab for the key to his handcuffs, which hung from Biggs' belt. Biggs, who was still mostly conscious, put up a fight, though he was somewhat handicapped the way his head was pinned between Wedge's back and another soldier's leg. Though Seifer didn't manage to wrest the key free, he did manage to insert it into his handcuffs, releasing them.

Not long after he did, something hard slammed into the back door, and then did so again. Seifer scooted his head away just in time for the door to go flying open, letting the pleasant country light stream in.

"Yeah, he's here," said Zell's voice, as his silhouette stared in at him from the doorway.

"Seifer?" asked Quistis' voice.

"Just a second," said Seifer, who was now trying to find the key to free his ankles.

"We probably shouldn't stay here long," said the voice of that other SeeD whom Seifer didn't know.

"Just a second!" Seifer repeated. "...ah!" The cuffs around his ankles snapped open, and Seifer crawled out of the vehicle, which appeared to have come to a rest in the ditch alongside the highway. "Later, guys!" he said to the mostly unconscious soldiers.

"You won't get away with this!" shouted Biggs' muffled voice, as the soldier tried to pry himself out from under Wedge. "I'll see to it you're —" He was cut off when Seifer slammed the door shut on him.

"So what took you so long?" asked Seifer.

"Don't even start, Seifer," Quistis said harshly. She pointed to a Galbadian military vehicle that, along with a stylish-looking fastback sedan, was now parked alongside the road. "Get in the truck."

"No, hey, wait!" Seifer said. "...We've got a problem." Quistis raised his eyebrows in a 'no kidding' gesture. "— One you _don't_ know about." He sighed. "...Garden's in trouble."


	26. New Plan

Everyone was speechless for a moment as Seifer's news sunk in. There were cars driving by on the road, and Nida could think of plenty of reasons why staying where they were was a really bad idea, but this wasn't foremost in his mind either.

Irvine was shaking his head. "...Alive," he said. "She...I..."

Then he started laughing, catching everyone by surprise.

"The hell's so damn funny?" demanded Seifer. "She's gonna blow up Garden, did you hear that part?" Irvine didn't even seem to hear him. "Hey!" Seifer snapped, grabbing his coat.

"—Watch it, man!" Irvine shoved Seifer away.

"Everyone, stop it!" snapped Quistis, before the situation could deteriorate even further. "...Seifer's right. We have to deal with this."

"They're targeting both Balamb and Trabia Gardens?" asked Selphie. "Well, we have to interfere with the launch! We have to stop the missiles!"

"How do we do that?" asked Nida. "Shouldn't we try to get in touch with Garden, and warn them?"

"The hell's Garden gonna do?" asked Seifer. "They couldn't get here in time!"

"What about Galbadia Garden?" asked Nida.

"It's already been taken over," said Seifer. "That's how I got outta there."

Nida hadn't thought of that. "...Well, we could at least warn the Gardens to evacuate or something. You said we had about 12 hours left, right?"

"What if that's not enough time?" asked Selphie. "I just transferred from Trabia Garden! I can't just sit around knowing that Trabia Garden is in danger!" She turned to Quistis. "C'mon, please! Let's go to the Galbadia Missile Base, before it's too late!"

"Why don't we split into teams?" asked Rinoa. "There's 7 of us... that's enough to make 3 teams, right? We could warn Balamb and Trabia Gardens, _and_ stop the missiles!" She looked around. "Let's take a vote. Anyone against the plan, please raise your right hand."

_...It doesn't work like that,_ Nida thought. Although she did have a point. Except he still had no idea how they were supposed to stop a Galbadian missile launch, especially if they divided their forces.

Quistis, for her part, looked almost sick. Closing her eyes, she rubbed the bridge of her nose, and took a deep breath before responding.

"...All right," she said. "Selphie, head for Dollet; see if you can't find a way to Trabia Garden. Irvine, you go with her. Zell, take Rinoa and go back to warn Balamb Garden. You four take the car; Nida and I will see if we can stop the missiles."

Nida blinked. Seifer cleared his throat; Quistis frowned at him.

"Are you with us, Seifer?" she asked. "You know the stakes. I need to know you won't cause any trouble."

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, Instructor, I don't wanna see Garden get blown up."

"Good," said Quistis. "Go with Zell back to Balamb."

"_What_!" Seifer and Zell both exclaimed.

"That's my decision," said Quistis sharply. Seifer grimaced. Sighing, she nodded to Irvine.

"Hey, man." Irvine produced Seifer's gunblade from under his jacket. "You dropped this."

Seifer took the weapon, and took a few experimental swings before holstering it.

"We have to move quickly," said Quistis. "Zell, we'll drop your team off at the rail outlet in the desert region; you should be able to make it to Balamb from there. Selphie, good luck. And, I'll see you all back at Balamb."

- - **- — -** - -

Quistis parked the vehicle behind a rickety shack-like structure that was probably still the most solidly built building for several miles around. There were a couple Galbadian soldiers minding the platform, but they were some distance away. In the distance, they could just see the approaching train that was scheduled to leave in a few minutes' time.

"Look, Instructor," Seifer said as they got out of the car. "We both know I could be an asset on this mission. Don't send me away just because you don't like my guts."

"I'm sending you away because I don't _trust_ you, Seifer," Quistis said. "You've demonstrated time and again that you can't work with a team. And there's very little margin for error in what we're about to do."

"I can get the job done!" said Seifer. "Haven't I proven _that_ enough? And I know what the stakes are here!" Then he lowered his voice, and his tone became about as serious as Quistis had ever heard it. "Please, Quistis. Let me help."

Quistis stared at him for a moment. She knew it was just asking for disaster, and that Seifer couldn't be relied on; she expected he'd run off well before he reached Balamb and whatever disciplinary action awaited him there. But, they were going into uncharted territory; and Seifer had proven himself a capable fighter. And there was just enough of a difference in his attitude now to give her pause.

"Don't make me regret this," she said.

"Wait, what?" asked Nida.

"Hey, you're not actually —" Zell started.

"Seifer will come with us to the missile base," said Quistis. The train had just arrived at the station, and the soldiers were now off supervising its unloading. "You'd better get going, Zell."

Zell shook his head, but started off stealthily towards the train.

"Hey, Rinoa," Seifer said, pulling her aside. "Look, about before. I..." He shook his head.

"Seifer, it's okay," she said, raising a hand to his cheek. "I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose."

"Yeah, well." Seifer shuffled uncomfortably. "Just...be safe, okay?"

"Hey," said Rinoa. "I've got SeeD to protect me." Seifer glowered, and Rinoa changed the subject. "...sure beats last summer, doesn't it?"

"I dunno," said Seifer, faux-casually. "That wasn't _too_ bad."

Rinoa giggled, but her expression soon turned more solemn. "...Seifer," she began. "...There's some things I wanna know."

"Hey!" said Zell. "Let's go! We've gotta uncouple the engine while these guys aren't looking!"

"...We'll talk when you get back to Garden," Rinoa decided. "Good luck saving everybody." Then she turned and headed off with Zell.

"Let's get going," said Quistis.

Seifer and the two remaining SeeDs piled back into the transport, and headed back for the road. As they drove off, Nida saw in the rear-view mirror that the engine was pulling away down the tracks, with the conductor and a Galbadian soldier trailing after it.

"...Seifer," Quistis said. "What happened at Galbadia Garden?"

Seifer shrugged. "There was a fight," he said, "but it was over pretty quick. The Galbadians had brought a whole army there. I heard the headmaster sayin' he'd surrender if they promised not to harm the students."

"Did they?" asked Nida.

"Looked like everyone just got kicked out," said Seifer. "But I dunno. I was more focused on gettin' out of there."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to take them all on yourself," Quistis said, half-jokingly.

"Figured I'd start with the Sorceress and work my way down," said Seifer.

Then the tone of the engine changed, and the truck started to slow down. "...Huh?" asked Nida, who was driving. He tried pushing the pedal harder, with no effect; the speedometer kept ticking down to around 20 kilometers per hour, where it held.

"It feels like the fuel cell's been depleted," said Quistis, looking around the back of the vehicle. "Seifer, do you see an extra one?"

"No way," said Nida, tapping the fuel gauge, which registered the cell as being more than halfway charged. "The meter says..." He blinked, as the needle fell off the gauge while he was tapping it. "...Never mind. The meter's broken."

"There's nothing else back here," said Quistis. "...We'll have to cruise on reserves."

"Well," said Seifer. "I love how _this_ mission is going."

- - **- — -** - -

Selphie and Irvine shot past yet another Galbadian transport vehicle as their car approached the Dollet city limits. "There's sure a lot of those things on the road lately," Selphie observed. "I thought the Galbadians pulled out of Dollet?"

"...Looks like they're setting up roadblocks," said Irvine, who had been staring out the passenger's-side window for the duration of the trip with the same blank expression he'd had all day.

"That's just mean!" said Selphie. "Why don't they want people driving around?"

Irvine shrugged.

"...Heey, Irvine?" Selphie asked, looking over at him. "Are you okay? You've been acting kinda different ever since the parade."

"...," Irvine said.

"It's not your fault the Sorceress survived, you know," Selphie said. "I'm sure you did the best you could."

Irvine shook his head, but didn't answer.

Selphie switched gears. "...I can't believe they're just gonna blow up Garden," she said. "I mean, there's a bunch of junior classmen there, who didn't do anything! It's just _mean_."

"...it's easy for them," said Irvine.

"?" asked Selphie.

"Guns made it a lot easier to kill people," said Irvine. "It probably started with the bow and arrow. Or throwing rocks. Anything that lets you kill from a distance. With missiles, it's even easier. All you have to do is push a button; you don't have to see any of the destruction you cause."

Selphie just stared at him.

"It's different with a sniper, though," Irvine said, his expression distant. "When you're looking through that scope, it's like you and your target are the only things in the world. And you're the one who decides if she lives or dies." A second later, his attention snapped back to the present. "...! Selphie, watch the road!"

Selphie did, yelped, and swerved hard to narrowly avoid driving straight off the shoulder and into the sign reading, **WELCOME TO DOLLET** — at well above the posted speed limit, to boot. "...Heey, are those the docks?" she asked, pointing to a cluster of ships and piers arranged ahead of them. "That's convenient!"

"That's them," Irvine confirmed.

Selphie parked the car in what at least looked like a legal parking space next to the docks. "Okay," she said as she got out. "We want the fastest ship they've got. ...How about that one?" She pointed towards a sleek-looking speedboat.

"We'll probably need something bigger if we're going to cross the ocean with it," said Irvine.

"But bigger is slower, though," Selphie said.

"Maybe that one," said Irvine, pointing to a somewhat larger vessel with a double hull. "That looks like a hydrofoil. They're pretty fast."

"Okay!" said Selphie. "C'mon, we've gotta hurry!"

"Hey, hey, woah!" said Irvine. "You think we can just hop on and sail away? Do you even know how to run a boat?"

"Sure!" said Selphie. "It was part of my SeeD training! And every summer, we'd go sailing around Trabia!" She hopped onto the boat and over to its controls. "Uh...how do I turn it on?"

"Maybe there's a key somewhere," Irvine suggested. The two of them began to search the craft.

"HEY!" a man in overalls was approaching them with a suspicious look. "What're you doing on that vessel?"

"Relax, it's cool," said Irvine. "We're from Garden. We need it for a mission."

"The hell you do!" said the man. "I'm calling the cops!" He turned and ran away.

"Selphie, found anything yet?" Irvine asked.

"Key, key..." Selphie muttered. "If I was a key, where would I be...?" She was running out of places to look, and starting to check places she'd already looked in before. It was while peering into a compartment filled with CDs near the ship's stern that she noticed something. "...Heey, this guy listens to the 'Blue Moombas'!" she said. "I _love_ them! ...And he's got their newest album, too!" She began rifling through the collection to see what else was in there.

"Uh, Selphie?" Irvine asked. "Shouldn't we focus on —"

"!" Selphie triumphantly produced a key that had been hidden under the CDs. "Found it!"

Irvine released the ship's tether to the dock as Selphie ran back to the controls. He was just pushing them off when a pair of Dollet soldiers came running up. "Step out of the vessel now!" one said, as they leveled their weapons at Selphie and Irvine.

"Look, we really need this ship, okay?" Irvine asked. "Like, we'll bring it back."

"Whoo-hoo!" said Selphie, as the ship's engine grumbled to life. "It's started!"

"Stop!" demanded the soldier.

"Sorry about this," Irvine said. Drawing his shotgun, he fired a blast over their heads. The soldiers dove for cover. "We'd better get outta here, Selphie!"

"Right on!" The boat was indeed turning slowly out to sea. "C'mon, turn faster!"

The soldiers were now firing back at Irvine, who was laying down cover fire as best he could. "Anytime now!"

Selphie heard another siren coming from somewhere out at sea; looking for the source, she saw a police boat bearing down on them. "Uh-oh," she said, trying to twist the steering wheel further. The vessel was still oriented so that she couldn't floor the throttle without driving it straight into the pier. "This is gonna be close!"

"Uhh..." Irvine said, raising a hand to his forehead. "...Wha?" Dropping his shotgun, he collapsed to the deck.

"Irvine!" asked Selphie. "Were you hit? Are you okay?"

"_Shut down your engine and surrender!"_ demanded a voice from the police boat, which moved in to block the route out to sea. The two Dollet soldiers had emerged from their cover as well, and were running up to the edge of the pier, where they had a clear shot.

Selphie gulped. "Oh, no..."


	27. The Spy

It was late afternoon, and Nida, Quistis and Seifer were still crawling along the desert road on the vehicle's depleted power cell. The trip had been maddening; they were only going slightly faster than they could have on foot at a flat run, but they hadn't even come across another car they could hijack. And they were getting close to launch time.

"This is idiotic," said Seifer. "They're gonna destroy both Gardens and we'll still be pokin' through the desert."

"Thank you, Seifer; I'm aware of the situation." Quistis' nerves were becoming a bit frayed as well.

"We should be there within the hour, anyway," said Nida. Ahead of them, the boxy structure of the missile base could be seen on the horizon.

"Goody," said Seifer. "So, you got a plan yet for when we get in there, Instructor? 'Cause it seems like we've had enough time to set one out in triplicate by now."

Quistis glared at him. "We'll use this vehicle to get in," she said. "There's spare combat gear in the back, enough to make 3 or 4 full Galbadian uniforms. Once inside, we'll sabotage the system."

"Gee," said Seifer. "Sabotage the system. Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

"You're the one who wanted to come on this mission, Seifer," Quistis replied. "If you've got a problem, you can go."

"The _plan_ isn't my problem, Instructor," Seifer retorted. "You've been grading tests for the last year." He pointed to Nida. "This guy wasn't a SeeD until yesterday."

"I have a name," said an irritated Nida.

"Yeah, whatever," said a dismissive Seifer. "Now we're gonna try to infiltrate a high-security Galbadian facility, and I'm supposed to trust _your_ lead?"

Quistis looked at him incredulously. "_You_ don't think you can trust _me_? You've failed the SeeD exam four times, Seifer; did you ever think there might be a reason?"

Seifer pantomimed getting stabbed in the heart.

"And stop calling me 'Instructor,'" Quistis said. "I'm not an instructor anymore, and whatever fantasy you have in your head, you are _finished_ as a student at Garden. I don't owe you anything anymore."

"Yeah?" said Seifer. "Well, that's a shame, because I'll really miss all your pearls of wisdom."

Quistis shook her head, and glared at him. "Go to hell, Seifer."

"Same to you," said Seifer, glaring back.

Spears of white smoke shot up from the structure ahead of them. "...Guys," Nida said, his voice catching in his throat.

Quistis and Seifer both froze, watching in silence the trails arced toward them and passed above the top of the truck's windshield.

"...Stop the car," said Quistis. "Nida, stop the car."

Nida's reaction time was sluggish as he slammed on the brakes. As soon as they stopped, Quistis stumbled out the car door and looked up at the missiles passing overhead. They were barely visible themselves, tiny winged objects ejecting tongues of flame and followed by a widening cloud of smoke – like arrows dooming an invisible target. She felt tremendously dizzy, and thought she might throw up.

It took a second for Nida to remember how to turn off the engine and put the truck in park. When he did and stepped onto the road, his legs felt terribly weak. Seifer, too, had an expression that completely belied the attitude he had been displaying seconds earlier.

"...Do you know," Nida asked, "which Garden they were targeting first?"

Seifer shook his head. "They didn't say."

Nida glanced back up at the missiles, which were already a long way towards the far horizon. "So either Trabia or...or Balamb Garden will be..." A distant sonic boom finished the sentence for him.

Quistis had regained most of her composure. "—All right," she said. "We still have time to save one Garden. And we owe it to them – we owe it to everyone – to try." She looked at Seifer. "Nothing else matters."

Seifer looked back, and nodded. "...Yeah."

"All right," said Quistis, looking back toward the missile base. "Let's get prepared."

- - **- — -** - -

The security guard at the missile base barely looked at them. "Car trouble?"

"Bad fuel cell," said Nida, unconsciously deepening his voice. "Gauge broke."

"Yeah, whatever. Save it for maintenance." He checked the vehicle's ID number, and a green **VALID** appeared on his display screen. "Alright, go ahead."

Nida drove into the parking lot. He was still getting used to navigating with the world being projected in 270-degree relief on the screen inside the Galbadian infantry helmet he now wore, and ended up dinging the truck he parked next to more than once. He hoped he would get used to this, but he did wonder if the setup was really expected to make Galbadian soldiers _better_ in combat.

He also hoped that no one at the base would question why his uniform smelled so strongly of mothballs.

Quistis and Seifer, similarly attired, got out of the vehicle; Nida did as well after removing the keycard from the ignition slot. "Okay," he said. "I guess we just go in?"

"That seems to be the entrance," said Quistis, nodding toward the only door they had access to. They started walking.

"Got the rest of your plan yet?" Seifer asked.

"I'm working on it," Quistis said.

They came up on two doors, neither of which had any apparent knob or latch. Both had key slots, however. "...Um," said Nida. On a hunch, he took the ID card he had retrieved from the truck and swiped it through one of the slots, then the other. Nothing happened. "This could be a problem."

Seifer's helmet disguised his eye-rolling; he began pacing almost immediately, however.

Quistis looked at the keypad. "Nida, you took studies in electronics, right?"

"Yeah," said Nida. "...You want me to hack into the system using the keypad?"

"You're the most experienced among us with this sort of equipment," said Quistis. "It's why I wanted you here."

"Maybe you should have asked Zell," said Nida, remembering his inexplicable success at the Timber TV station. Still, he frowned at the keypad. "...It's pretty standard. Probably isolated from the main system, with some kind of ROM backup." He shook his head. "I don't think there's any way to hack it with what I've got here. But I might be able to bypass the scanner and fool system into releasing the door by accessing it directly. I'll need tools from the truck, though, and —"

The door slid open, and a soldier stepped out. "Hey, you the new tech guys?" he asked.

"—Yes, that would be us," said Quistis.

"Thought you couldn't make it today," the man said. "...Well, whatever. Get your butts in here; second launch is in less than an hour."

The three SeeDs stepped into the missile base with him. "What's the situation?"

"The situation is we were supposed to have an inspection on the circuit room done 10 minutes ago, but everyone's tied up," the soldier said. "Get in there and run a diagnostic."

Quistis saluted. "Yessir." Nida checked the man's rank, and then realized his uniform didn't have any.

"...Which one's the circuit room?" he asked.

The soldier gave him a look that translated perfectly even through his helmet. "Down the hall, on the right, behind the door that says 'CIRCUIT ROOM'." Muttering something about "damn newbies," he left.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," said Quistis. "Let's go."

The base was quite cavernous on the inside; they passed along a catwalk under which large, angular missile pods passed along a conveyer line and made Nida thankful he wasn't afraid of heights. It was all he could do to keep from gawking at the display of equipment, however.

A guard was standing outside the circuit room when the three SeeDs reached it. "We're here for the inspection," said Quistis.

"About time," said the guard. "Go on in."

The circuit room consisted of panels full of circuits, displays concerning circuits, and wires connected to circuits. Nida inspected one of the displays. "Looks like this is the central hub for the base's entire power grid," he said. "There are hubs for most systems elsewhere through the base, but this is the primary diagnostic center, so all the wires have to lead through here."

"So we trash this place, all the power goes out," said Seifer.

"Well, maybe," said Nida. "It looks like there are redundant buffers and capacitors staged at regular — hey, what are you doing?"

Seifer had drawn his gunblade. "Just testing something." And he swung the weapon into one of the consoles with a particularly large number of wires, pulling the trigger as he struck.

There was a terrific display of sparks, which spread through the entire room as consoles exploded and panels flew open, throwing ruined wires everywhere. Nida and Quistis covered their faces, and Nida was very glad for the armor's full-body protection. The room was plunged into total blackness for a second, before the emergency lighting came on.

"_Electrical system malfunction,"_ announced the loudspeaker. _"Maintenance Team, investigate immediately."_

"Was that _really_ necessary?" Nida demanded when the display died down.

"We wanna bust this place up, right?" Seifer asked.

"I don't think the missiles are controlled from here!" said Nida. "And like I was saying, there are redundancies in the power grid! The best you did was slow them down!"

Seifer shrugged. "So we go trash something else."

"Hey!" Someone was banging on the door, which slid open a bit sluggishly a second later. On the other side was the guard, looking at the room in astonishment. "What's going on in here?"

"Uh, we—" Nida stammered, madly combing his mind for any possible explanation that could cover this. "We were just — load-testing the breakers, when that panel — the whole system got shunted through a feedback loop! You're lucky this didn't happen during the launch!"

The guard stared at them a bit longer. "Look," said Quistis, picking up the thread. "We need to reroute the system through secondary controls, and we can't do that here. So if you'll excuse us?"

After another second, the guard nodded. "...Fine. But you're going on report over this."

"We understand." Quistis led them out into the hallway and away. "That worked out all right," she said.

Nida shrugged. "Yeah; I'm pretty sure what I said wasn't physically possible, though, so we should probably leave before the real maintenance guys get there."

They entered another section of hallway, at the end of which was a set of stairs leading upward. "That may be the control room," said Quistis; but before they got close enough to check, a soldier came out of a door to the left.

"Hey, you!" he said, pointing to the three. "...Haven't seen you around before."

"We're new," said Quistis.

"Huh." The guard shrugged. "Well, we need some help in here. I guess it doesn't really matter who...Do you think you could lend a hand?"

Quistis frowned. "What's the problem?"

"The loading system jammed halfway," said the soldier. "We've got to align the launcher manually. Come on." He disappeared back into the room.

"Why the hell are we helping them prepare the thing?" Seifer asked.

"We need to maintain our cover," said Quistis. "I expect we'll need one of their codes to access the computer."

"Or we sabotage the launcher," said Nida. The others looked at him. "...I might have an idea."

-

"This doesn't look like...what the hell did you say happened?" asked one of the soldiers on the maintenance crew, examining the ruined circuit room.

"They said, uh..." The guard frowned. "There was some kind of...feedback shunt...on the test...load breaker...loop."

The soldier looked at him, confused. "What the hell...?"

"Hey, what's this?" asked the other soldier, examining one panel. "Looks like someone took a saber to this thing. And then shot it."

The first soldier examined the damage. "Okay, there's no kind of shunt _or_ loop that would cause that." He turned to the guard. "Where did those other guys get to?"

-

The soldier nodded, observing the now-properly aligned launcher. "Good work. All we need to do now is confirm the coordinates on the control panel, and synchronize this launcher with the main system. I better stay here and check the local software." He removed a disk from the launcher's data slot and handed it to Quistis. "The program should be ready to go. You guys get on it."

Quistis nodded, and led Nida and Seifer out. "Well?" she asked Nida.

"I disconnected the hydraulics on the launcher platform," Nida said. "When they give the launch command, it won't be able to deploy; it'll fire the missiles while still underground."

"Destroying the base," said Quistis. Nida nodded.

"Not bad," said Seifer. "So we're done?"

"There's at least 2 other launchers that we don't have access to," said Quistis.

"I might be able to redirect the targeting system with that," Nida said, nodding to the disk. "Have the missiles crash in the middle of the ocean or something."

Quistis handed him the disk, and he got to work at the control panel.

"So we just wait around while he fiddles with the computer?" asked Seifer. "How many guards have you seen on this base? I bet we could take 'em all out."

"Seifer," Quistis said exasperatedly. "Most likely the missiles are on automatic timer. It would come down to this sooner or later anyway." Seifer grunted, and began to pace. "...How's it going, Nida?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said. "The standard interface is firewalled; I'm trying to go in through the core text. I think I can use the disk to get me access to the targeting system, but its protocols are pretty limited." An error message blinked at him. "I'm gonna try randomizing the disk cyphers."

"Is that wise?" Quistis asked.

"...Maybe," Nida said, not radiating confidence. "Each directory seems to have its own code, but the privileges aren't uniform. This way, I might be able to get sys-op access to another directory and find a back door into the targeting files."

Seifer was scowling at them. "...What the hell are you people saying?"

"I'm in," Nida said, looking surprised. "...No, this is something else. ...Error ratio?"

"Hey!" Approaching them were two soldiers with Maintenance patches on their uniforms. "You the guys who were just in the Circuit Room?"

"Nope," said Seifer. "Must have us mistaken with someone else."

"The hell we do," said the other, frowning at the hilt of Seifer's gunblade. "I want to see that weapon."

"No, you _don't_," said Seifer.

Nida gulped, and started working faster.

"What's the problem here?" asked Quistis, stepping in.

"You sabotaged the power grid, didn't you?" asked the first soldier. "And what's your friend doing back there?" Seifer folded his arms. "...That's it. Get away from that control panel!"

Quistis and Seifer looked at each other. "Look, you really want to see my weapon?" Seifer asked. "Fine."

Seifer's gunblade and Quistis' whip lashed out simultaneously, catching the soldiers completely by surprise; they fell lifeless to the ground before anyone could have been alerted.

Except perhaps by the guard standing by the stairs to the control room, who immediately slammed the panic button.

"_Attention all staff!"_ announced the loudspeaker. _"This is an emergency! Intruders are inside the base! Eliminate them at all costs!"_

"Well," said Quistis. "Nida, how's it going?"

"This whole thing's compartmentalized!" said Nida. "I think there's certain commands it's only supposed to accept from the control room!"

"Can you override?" Quistis asked urgently.

"I'm trying!" But for a moment, Nida just stared at the screen. He knew there was some way to disguise his the point of origin of his query, and he'd studied it in class just last semester. But his mind was completely blanking when he tried to remember what it was. "...I...I dunno."

"Time for a Plan B?" asked Seifer. Without waiting for an answer, he charged toward the control room door – and the soldier who looked very unhappy about having to guard it.

Nida looked at Quistis, who sighed and nodded after Seifer. By the time they reached the stairs, he had already beaten the guard and was running up into the control room. _"Attention,"_ said the loudspeaker as they ran up after him. _"This is the control room. We are now entering the final phase of the missile launch. Take your designated positions and prepare for the launch. —Huh?"_

They arrived in the control room to see Seifer facing off with three Galbadian soldiers, apparently the base's control staff. "No one's launching anything, you got that?" he said.

"You're the intruders!" said the officer. "Well, bring it _on_! How dare you interfere with our plans!"

Seifer shrugged, and charged.

They quickly paired off, with Nida and Quistis each taking on one of the soldiers and Seifer fighting the leader. Nida took a Fire blast from the base soldier fighting him and nearly let the man's saber connect with his ribcage, but managed to convert on his block by whacking the soldier on his helmet, kicking him, then stabbing him in the leg. The soldier staggered back; Nida stabbed at the soldier's gut, but didn't connect. The soldier tried to riposte, but Nida ducked out of the way and swung his staff's blade into the man's side. The soldier fell, and Nida kicked his saber away.

Quistis had already finished off her soldier, but Seifer and the base leader were still going at it. As Nida looked up, the leader nearly unloaded his machinegun into Seifer's chest, but Seifer managed to smack it with his gunblade at the last second; the shots went wild, but did succeed in mostly destroying one of the consoles. "—Hey!" Nida called. "Careful!"

Seifer didn't seem to hear him. He punched the leader in the neck as he brought his gunblade around in a wide roundhouse swing that definitely would have finished the man off had he not ducked at the last second; instead, the weapon glanced off another console, and sent sparks flying. Nida and Quistis ran up to help, but the cramped quarters of the room made it difficult. Quistis did drive her chain whip into his leg, knocking him off-balance enough for Seifer to kick him clear. "Firaga!" he growled, and the resulting fireball put the leader out of the fight.

"Okay," said Quistis, after they took just a second to catch their breath. "One of these control panels should be the launch control mechanism. Let's split up and look."

They did. Nida found the consoles devoted to the power grid, to equipment readouts, and to communications and G-net access, but no launch controls. "...I'm not seeing it," he said.

"Neither am I," said Quistis.

"The hell do launch controls even look like?" asked Seifer.

Nida checked the console Seifer was looking at. It wasn't that one either. Then he gulped, as an idea struck him. He checked the still-sparking console with the ragged tear from Seifer's gunblade in it. "...I think it's _this_ one," he said.

Quistis came over to look. "...Oh, my."

Seifer looked away, and didn't say anything.

"...Okay," said Nida. "We're still in the control room. There might be some way to re-task one of these other consoles to access the targeting system."

"Can you?" Quistis asked.

"—Maybe," said Nida; though if his mind had been blanking before, it was total static now. "I—I just need a minute."

Quistis hesitated for a second, then shook her head. "No, we don't have it. Even if no more soldiers come, the missiles will launch any moment — and when they do, this base will be destroyed. We have to get out of here."

"We can't just leave!" Nida exclaimed.

"Do you honestly think you can do this if we stay?" she asked him.

"I—" Nida raised his hands to his head. There had to be a way. "I don't – I just —"

"Nida," said Quistis. "...Let's go. Zell should have reached Garden by now to warn everyone. We've done all we can."

"Hey!" Seifer jumped in. "We came this far; we just gonna run? We can't just —"

"We've done all we can!" Quistis snapped. She grabbed Nida's arm and started pulling him toward the exit; he was more than a little dazed. "Let's go!"

-

"Where the hell are the drivers?" demanded the captain, who with his contingent of perimeter guards was standing along the intruders' supposed escape route. Beside them, the massive Iron Clad tank rested in its parking zone, for want of its operators.

"Don't know, sir!" said one of the guards. "...Sir, _we_ could take it! I'm pretty good at operating armored equip —"

"Absolutely not!" snapped the Captain. "That's a highly advanced piece of machinery, and I'll be damned if I'm responsible for its damage!"

Just then, two figures in soldiers' uniforms came running out. "It's about time!" the captain snapped, as a third soldier came running behind them. "Let's get the Iron Clad ready to roll! These intruders won't know what hit them!"

He climbed up and opened the vehicle's main hatch, with the two drivers close behind him. "You can bet I'm reprimanding the hell out of you if the intruders get out," he said.

"Sorry," said the driver.

The captain blinked. Did they have any female tank operators on the base?

Just then, two other soldiers came running out. "Sorry we're late, sir!" called one.

"?" The captain frowned, looking between those two soldiers and the three who had previously arrived. "...Hey!" he exclaimed, pointing at the latter three. "_You're_ the intruders!"

"Thanks for openin' the door," said Seifer. The captain tried to dive into the Iron Clad, but Quistis' whip wrapped around his legs and sent him crashing hard to the ground. Nida stabbed the guard before he knew what was going on.

"We'd better get in," said Quistis, retrieving the Captain's keycard while choking him with her knee. "This looks like our best bet for escape."

Seifer and Nida piled in; Quistis followed; she was just at the hatch, and the real tank drivers were almost upon her, when the ground started to rumble as if in a minor earthquake.

"_Now_ what?" demanded Seifer; but this quickly became apparent. Two boxy missile launchers rose from the ground, and oriented themselves to point eastward. Quistis quickly ducked inside the Iron Clad, closing the hatch just before the missiles fired.

There were a series of deafening booms, each accompanied by a jolt as the ground heaved underneath the tank; Quistis was banged against Seifer, Nida and the walls, and without the Galbadian armor she still wore, she probably would have broken something. As it was, the blasts dazed her to the point where she couldn't remember which direction was up.

Finally, the upheaval ended with her head jammed under a console and her leg somehow entangled with the chair. And for a moment, her breathing was the only sound in the world.


	28. Home

For a while, nobody moved. The blackness of the Iron Clad's interior enveloped them in a sort of oppressive air, commanding them to be silent and still. Nida's arm was wedged rather awkwardly against what felt like a chair, but he couldn't be bothered to move it; comfort wasn't exactly foremost on his mind.

Eventually, though, he reached up to activate the night-vision on his helmet, and started squirming to right himself. Quistis and Seifer, he saw, were beginning to move as well; one was wriggling out from under a console, the other was upside down in the gunner's pit.

"...Is everyone all right?" asked Quistis.

Nida wonder if the question could have been any _more_ loaded. He tried to figure out how long it would take for the missiles to reach Garden; he didn't really know how long it would take Irvine and Selphie to reach Trabia, but at least Zell and Rinoa had a pretty good head start; hopefully they'd be able to evacuate everyone in time. Hopefully.

"Never better," said Seifer.

Quistis had extricated herself from under the console, and produced the keycard she had taken from the Galbadian captain. "I guess we should see if this vehicle will still run."

The three of them crawled into seats, and Quistis inserted the keycard into the slot by the driver's console, and all the display screens lit up, displaying messages announcing their initialization and then various status readouts. A green light began flashing beside one button, which was guarded beneath a flip cover. Quistis pressed the button, and the engine rumbled on.

"Does anyone know where the lights are?" asked Nida, before spotting a switch labeled **INT LIGHTS** near where his right hand rested. "—oh." A moment later, the interior of the tank was filled with green light. The three of them removed their helmets.

"...I can't see anything outside," said Quistis, peering through the vehicle's tiny viewport. "We're probably buried in debris."

"Well, this is a tank, right?" asked Nida. "It's probably got a pretty powerful engine."

"I suppose we'll find out," Quistis said. "Everyone, strap in."

At first, there didn't seem to be much point; the Iron Clad moved at a crawl, and they could feel the amount of resistance it was facing from whatever they had been buried in. There were sounds of grinding metal to go with the vibrations running through the vehicle, and the floor began to incline steadily, as if they were very slowly trying to drive up a wall.

Then the floor swung downward to slant in the opposite direction, and Nida was quite glad he had strapped in as his helmet went clattering down to join Seifer's by Quistis' feet. "I can see something," said Quistis. "...I think the gate fell over. And we're driving over it now. We should have a clear path onto the road."

"Can you see the rest of the base?" asked Nida.

Quistis frowned, checking with the vehicle's periscope. "It looks completely destroyed. So at least Galbadia won't be able to target anyone else."

No one thought of anything more to say.

- - **- — -** - -

They drove in near-silence into the evening. When they reached the main continental highway, they turned east towards Dollet; despite its size and poor rate of acceleration, the tank was capable of a quite respectable speed, and they were well into Hasberry by dinnertime.

"Looks like there's a roadblock coming up," said Quistis. "Nida, switch places with me when we stop. I'll talk to them."

"Right," Nida said.

The tank ground to a halt. Quistis retrieved her infantry helmet and made her way back to the hatch, as Nida took the driver's seat. Two Galbadian APCs were stationed on the road just as it met the Hasberry Bluffs; in the distance, the Dollet skyline was visible, and the beam of light from the communications tower speared into the sky above them.

"Lemme guess," said the soldier who walked up to meet her. "More armor for the comm station?"

Quistis played along. "We've were ordered to help guard the facility."

"Figures," said the soldier. "They've already got the two Black Widows up there. Y'know I heard these new ones aren't even cleared for mountain terrain? Hell, I don't get why we're even still up there. Deling's not even in charge anymore; not like he's gonna be announcing anything."

"That _is_ strange," Quistis said, frowning. The soldier had a point; why _were_ the Galbadians still using the communications tower? Still, she put the question aside for the moment.

"Keep your head up, anyway," the soldier was saying. "Looks like SeeD may still be operating in the city."

This soldier apparently liked to gossip; Quistis didn't see any harm in encouraging him. "SeeD?" she asked.

"Dunno what the hell they're been doing, but there's been a couple incidents. Police even caught a couple of 'em in town, said they were on some special Garden mission."

Quistis felt her stomach sinking. "...When was this?" she asked, barely keeping her voice level.

"Just this morning," said the soldier. "Looks like they —"

"Hey!" called another soldier who was waiting by the vehicle. "You aren't paid to jabber all day! Are they clear or not?"

"Huh? ...Oh, yeah; they're fine." The soldier waved for them to proceed, as his companion shook his head and backed the vehicle out of the way. "Go on ahead."

Quistis retreated back into the tank and closed the hatch, taking a seat in Nida's former chair. "Did that guy say something about catching SeeDs?" asked Nida, as he started them off down the road again.

She nodded. "I guess Selphie and Irvine didn't make it." She shook her head. "They probably wouldn't have reached Trabia in time to do much, anyway."

"How many people are at Trabia Garden?" Nida asked, grimly reflecting that 'were' was probably the better word to use.

"I don't know exactly," said Quistis. "A few hundred, I think. I've never actually been there."

It was easier to think about Trabia Garden, she thought, for reasons that weren't really fair to anyone — it was the smallest of the three Gardens, and the only one she didn't have a real connection to. Now all three had been lost in one way or another, at least one of them without even being warned.

But Trabia, at least, she could accept, as much as she hated the thought of it. She wouldn't really be able to acknowledge Balamb Garden's fate until she saw it for herself.

- - **- — -** - -

They found a cave in the bluffs that was big enough to hide the tank in, locking it and taking the keycard in case they'd ever need it again. Nida managed to change all the vehicle's pass-codes as well — because of course _now_ his skills were useful, he thought grimly. Then they headed into town, leaving their uniforms behind as well.

It was around dusk when they got into town. The streets bore little sign of the fighting that had consumed the place during Nida's last visit just three days earlier; residents were going about their business, playing or just loitering, despite the occasional crater left by artillery fire or wall riddled with bullet-holes.

Quistis led them to a building at the edge of the docks, whose sign displayed the shield of the Dollet Police and Coast Guard. "Is your captain here?" she asked the officer at the station's main desk.

"Nah, he just went home," said the officer. "The Lieutenant's here, if you want to talk to him." Quistis nodded, and the officer stood. "Wait here," he said, and disappeared into a back hall.

The half-dozen or so officers in the station had been looking at them oddly since they came in, and Nida guessed Seifer was the main reason for that. He was in one of his less personable moods, having barely said a word since the missile base; and his blood-stained, mostly ruined clothes plus the wound on his face made it clear that he'd had a pretty brutal day.

Finally one officer approached him. "So like, what happened to you?" he asked.

Seifer glared at him. "Car accident," he said acidly.

The officer didn't force the issue.

Not long afterwards, the first officer returned. "You can go on back," he said, nodding to the hall as he resumed his seat.

"Thank you," said Quistis; and they did. The hall was short, with a door leading to the holding cells at the very end of it and offices on either side. In addition to being labeled, the Lieutenant's office was distinguishable by being the one that was occupied. The Lieutenant himself was a mustached, middle-aged man who didn't look at all excited to see them.

"Let me guess," he said. "You're following up on your friends?"

"Not exactly," Quistis said. "Although we would like information about the two students you arrested."

"Last I checked," said the Lieutenant, "Dollet didn't have an extradition agreement with Garden. Unless their actions fell under a contract from our government, then I don't owe you anything. And if they did, you can take it up with Parliament. It's not my problem."

"You want us to _make_ it your problem?" Seifer asked, advancing on the desk.

"Seifer," Quistis warned, then turned back to the officer with a more supplicant tone. "...Please. Right now we'd just like to know if they're alright."

"Yeah, well." The Lieutenant shrugged. "Thing is, they're not here anymore. Soon as the Galbadians heard we'd picked up some kids from Garden, they demanded we hand 'em over. I think they were gonna transfer 'em to the 'Desert Prison.'"

Quistis looked at the floor, shaking her head and slumping a little. Seifer turned away like he was ready to storm off or hit something, but restrained himself from doing either. Nida watched both of them, feeling a bit dazed.

"...Well, then," Quistis finally said. "There's another matter. We need transportation to Balamb immediately."

The Lieutenant rolled his eyes. "Oh, not again. I guess I should be grateful you're not just stealing it this time."

"Garden has aided Dollet in the past," said Quistis. "We should be able to come to an arrangement."

"Hmph," said the Lieutenant. After a moment, he shrugged. "You'll have to talk to the Captain about that," he said. "You can either wait till tomorrow morning or —"

"We'd like this settled promptly," said Quistis, who was getting a bit exasperated.

"Well, he's gone for the day," the Lieutenant said.

"We noticed that," Quistis retorted.

The Lieutenant sighed. "You might catch him at the 'Aphorora Pub' – he goes there most nights to unwind. Better hurry, if you wanna see him while he's sober."

"Thanks," said Quistis, whose voice didn't convey much gratitude. She led them out the door and back to the street.

"So Zell and Selphie are in Galbadian prison," said Nida.

"So it seems," Quistis agreed. She sighed. "...The 'Desert Prison' is probably the most secure location in Galbadia. They aren't the first students to be sent there. Garden's always attempted to negotiate for captives' release rather than attempt a rescue."

"So if we try to break them out..." Nida began.

Quistis sighed, and looked almost as if she would collapse on the sidewalk right there. Her expression, tightly neutral while they met the Lieutenant, had become haggard enough to make her look ten years older. "Our track record hasn't been very impressive so far," she said.

Nida glanced at Seifer, who was pacing a bit farther down the road. If he'd been paying attention to them, it wasn't immediately apparent. Quistis looked at him as if about to ask what he thought, but then shook her head slightly and seemed to discard the thought.

"Let's find this pub," she said. "Let's go home."

- - **- — -** - -

"Welcome," said the bartender. "We have Sylkis, Mimett, and even the hard stuff..." She trailed off, frowning at them. "Oh...Kids shouldn't be in here, you know?"

"We're looking for someone," said Quistis. "Is the captain here?"

"What, the police guy?" asked the bartender. "He's upstairs with the owner. He doesn't like to get interrupted in the middle of playing, though."

"Playing?" Nida asked.

"Cards," explained the bartender. "The owner's really good, but the captain always says he's gonna win someday. He also says he plays better when he's drunk, though. I'm not sure about that... hear he's lost a fortune to the owner already."

"Thanks," said Quistis. "We should just be a minute."

They headed up the stairs. The pub's second floor was cozier and contained fewer people, so the one in a police captain's uniform wasn't hard to spot. He was seated at a cards table opposite a second man; a nearly empty red-labeled bottle rested next to him and a nearly complete grid of Triple Triad cards sat on the table. The captain was completing a move that he seemed quite proud of.

"Plus!" he declared, downing what was left of his drink. "Let's see you beat _that_!"

The other man shrugged. "How about this? Plus..._combo_."

The captain watched in amazement as his opponent turned over nearly every card on the table. "The hell'd you do that? Damn, I'm not drunk enough..."

"Excuse me," asked Quistis. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Huh?" asked the captain, frowning at them. "How old are you kids? Y'know I could bust you just for bein' in here."

"My name's Quistis Trepe," said Quistis. "We're from Balamb Garden, and we need your help."

"Garden!" The captain rose. "Haven't you done enough to this town? The hell do you want now?"

"Hey, show some gratitude!" Seifer growled. "This place'd be occupied by Galbadia if it weren't for us."

"Hmph," said the captain. "With what we're hearing about what's going in Galbadia, the troops are coming back for all I know. There's rumors saying all three Gardens have already been destroyed."

"That's why we need your help," said Quistis. "We need transportation to Balamb, tonight. If you could lend us one of your patrol boats, we'd greatly appreciate it."

The captain folded his arms. "You think I'm gonna be handing out any more boats to SeeD right now?"

"We just need transportation," said Quistis. "One of your officers can accompany us, and bring the boat right back." The captain didn't look convinced. "Sir, I was one of the SeeDs who organized our defense of Dollet when the Galbadians attacked. I grew up here. I promise that we won't endanger you, and Garden may still be of some assistance should the situation worsen. Please."

"Hm...," said the captain. "...Tell you what. It's not that I don't trust you but...well, I guess I don't. And there's no better way to get a sense for a person than by their cards game. If you can beat me, I'll let you have your ride. I gotta warn you, though: technically, I have to turn you over to the Galbadians. If you lose, that's just what I'll do." He turned back to the pub owner, who'd been organizing his cards. "Mind if we use the table?"

"Is he serious?" asked Nida. "Our future depends on a cards game?"

Quistis smiled, with a look that radiated more confidence than Nida had seen from her for quite some time. "Don't worry," she said. "It won't be a problem."

- - **- — -** - -

"You know, he had some rather good cards," said Quistis, who was sorting her new acquisitions by the decklight of the Dollet patrol boat as it sped towards the Balamb coast.

"Huh," said Nida, absently. It was dark, so he couldn't see much besides the shadow of the mountains looming ahead of them, and he didn't even know if anything would be visible from this part of the coastline, but he still couldn't help but look for any sign that Garden was still there.

"We'll be there in just a minute," said the officer driving the boat. "You sure you don't want to go through the harbor?"

"No, thank you," said Quistis. "Just put us on the beach, as close to Garden as possible."

The officer shrugged. "If you say so. You'll have to swim ashore, though."

"That's fine," said Quistis.

Not long afterward, the officer brought the boat to a halt about a hundred meters offshore, and the three of them dove into the water. Nida hadn't had to swim in full gear since he'd taken the training two semesters ago, and he'd never much liked swimming anyway; but he managed well enough to reach shore not unreasonably far behind the others. Quistis waved to the officer that they had all arrived safely; he waved back, turned the boat around, and headed back towards Dollet.

Then, they turned and looked in the direction in which Garden should be. A shallow ridge rose at the edge of the beach, so the building itself wasn't visible. But Nida had been on this beach enough to know it didn't seem right.

"There's no light from the ring," he said. Really, the pillar of light given off by the Garden's floodlights, refracted by the giant ring that haloed the building, should have been visible for miles; but he was sure he should see something now.

Quistis had noticed too. "...They could simply have shut off the power," she said, though her tone didn't do a good job of selling the idea. "We'll know soon enough. Come on."

They headed inland in silence, at a swift walk that quickly became a jog and accelerated to a flat-out run. Nida wasn't sure how long it took them to actually reach the ridge; the intervening moments became something of a blur even as they were passing, and he couldn't think about Garden, Quistis, Seifer or anything other than putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as he could. He wasn't even aware how close they were to the top of the shallow slope until Seifer, who had been bounding ahead of them, came to a halt, staring at something ahead. Nida and Quistis were a few seconds behind him; and upon reached the plain, they both froze as well.

The once idyllic plains were now pockmarked with craters from missile strikes, one of which had landed right on the road that had led from Garden to Balamb town. In the nighttime darkness, the uprooted trees, dirt and rubble thrown about merged into a single, black mass centered where their academy had proudly stood.

Where it still did stand.

As Nida observed the structure, however, the rush of relief that passed over him vanished as quickly as it had come. The ring was not only unlit, but all its supports had collapsed, and it now rested at an angle, having apparently crashed straight into the library. The training center looked to have taken a direct hit, another crater engulfed half the Quad, and the bell tower that had overlooked the entrance had crashed through the central building's walls. Nida couldn't make out the front courtyard at all. The building was lit, dimly, by a flickering yellow glow, and Nida caught a point of light in the blackened mess where the main entrance should have been.

He was on one knee before he even realized his legs had given out. Reflexively, his hand shot out to stabilize him, and he realized his heart was beating so hard he could hear his pulse pounding by his ears. He didn't even try to get back up.

After a long minute, Quistis was the first to speak. "...Campfires," she said, identifying the light source Nida had noted but been unable to coherently think about. "There are survivors." She put her hand on Nida's shoulder. "Let's see if they need help."

A few seconds later, when Nida managed to process what she had meant, he nodded and shakily rose back to his feet; the two of them started off across the plains.

Seifer was well on his way there, having already sprinted on ahead.


	29. Ami

"_Fujin!_" Seifer's voice grated on the deathly quiet that shrouded the ruins of Balamb Garden, but he showed no signs of caring. "Raijin!"

He was standing at the top of the stairs that had led up to the courtyard outside Garden's main entrance. The entrance was all rubble now, and in the courtyard was a collection of tents and makeshift shelters, lit by field lamps and occupied by a clutch of students and SeeDs with a uniform look of dulled shock behind their eyes.

And all their eyes were on Seifer. Quistis and Nida, who had finally caught up with him, got a few glances; but Seifer wasn't about to let their attention drift. Charging up to the nearest student, he took the boy by the collar and hauled him halfway out of his seat. "_Where are they?!_"

"I, uh, I don't...," the student stammered.

"I don't think anyone's seen them," another senior classman offered. "Not since before..."

Seifer dropped the student and rounded on the nearest inanimate object, a portable grill that his boot sent flying into the underbrush. "_Dammit!_" he screamed. "Dammit! Dammit to _hell!_"

He stood there for a few long seconds, breathing heavily and generally looking about to explode, until Quistis stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. He spun around with so much force that it looked like she might face the same fate as the grill, but froze when he caught her eyes.

"Seifer." Her voice was quiet, sympathetic, as firm as he'd ever heard it. He stayed frozen, and after a moment seemed to relax a little. Quistis lowered her hand. "...We should check the Infirmary." She looked behind her. "Nida."

Nida blinked; as the scene played out, _he'd_ forgotten he was part of it. Hanging back on the second-to-last step, he felt nowhere near ready to deal with the reality that was now all around him, much less place himself in relation to it. Numbly, though, he followed Quistis as she made for the domed building immediately to the west.

As they'd approached the Garden, they'd had plenty of opportunity to look over the damage that faced them. The Training Center and Quad seemed to have taken the only direct hits, though the cafeteria, dorms and parking lot were hidden behind the central building; the bulk of the destruction they saw probably resulted from the collapse of the bell tower and ring, and though that had been enough to ruin the front of the main building and skewer the Library, the only damage visible to the Infirmary had come from the dirt, rocks and shrapnel blown loose by the near misses that pockmarked the grounds.

The doors even still worked. Inside, patients were lined up in every free patch of floor space, bandaged, beaten and weary; they were attended by fellow students who picked their way through the scene though many looked little better. Some were slumped against the walls, others just stood dazed and lost amid it all.

It was undamaged. But Nida barely recognized the place.

Kneeling next to one wounded student, who had a bandage on the side of his neck, was a dark-haired figure in blue who was unmistakably Rinoa. She glanced in their direction a moment after the door closed, froze, then sprang to her feet. "Seifer!" she exclaimed, bounding across the room and slamming into him, burying her face in his coat. "It's horrible, Seifer. It's so horrible..."

"What happened, Rinoa?" Quistis asked, not quite managing her typical businesslike tone. "Was it like this when you arrived?"

Rinoa, face still hidden by Seifer's coat, shook her head. "...When we got here, everyone was fighting," she said finally, drawing her head back to look at them. "Something about the Garden Master. We tried to warn them about the missiles, but..." Her head fell back against Seifer. "It was too much. In the end, I couldn't do anything."

"You've done more than anyone could expect, Rinoa," Quistis said. "...We're the ones who failed."

Rinoa frowned. "What happened?" she asked, glancing at Seifer. "I was really worried about you guys."

Quistis nodded. "...Why don't I let Seifer fill you in? I still need to report to Headmaster Cid; do you have any idea where he is? Or..." She quickly abandoned the last sentence.

Rinoa shook her head. "I haven't seen him. ...You might want to ask the doctor. Kinda seems like she's the one in charge."

Quistis smiled. "Of course," she said, and started towards Doctor Kadowaki's office.

A moment later, Nida remembered himself and started after her.

-

Doctor Kadowaki's medical coat was still impeccably sterile, and her office was perfectly neat, though she looked as if she hadn't slept in a week. Her face lit in a very weary smile upon seeing Quistis, and she quickly set aside the medical file she'd been updating. "I had a feeling you'd be all right," she said.

"Well, I don't know about that," Quistis replied. "...I need to find Headmaster Cid; is he...?"

"He's resting right now," Kadowaki supplied. "Can it wait?"

"I honestly don't know," said Quistis. "Is he all right?"

The doctor nodded. "He was in his office when the missiles hit; it's a miracle, but his injuries were minor. Even so, he was trapped up there for most of the day, as we tried to rescue everyone."

"It's just that we have quite a lot of information about Galbadia and the Sorceress," Quistis said. "And I don't know how much time we have. Soldiers may be on their way right now."

Kadowaki frowned for a moment. "...I suppose I could let you talk to Xu. She needs to rest, too, so it'll have to be brief."

Quistis nodded. "Of course."

They were led to the hall connecting the infirmary to Garden's main building. The infirmary's lobby had become a post-operative ward, and the hallway seemed to have taken its place. At one table, a handful of SeeDs were clustered around a folding table that contained a set of papers and tablets, talking seriously. Xu was at one end of the table, with her back to the door.

"Xu," said Kadowaki, and she turned. She looked awful, gaunt and pale; her typical imposing figure was gone, and she just looked small. Her left arm was in a sling, the forearm wrapped in gauze. The hand was missing altogether.

"Quistis," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Good to see you're alright."

Quistis, though, looked horrified. "...My god, Xu. Your arm."

Xu glanced at the sling as if she'd forgotten about it. "A lot of other people had it worse," she said darkly.

"I'll let you two catch up," Kadowaki put in, "but Xu, you need to stay off your feet for a while. If you rely on GF too much, the results can be serious."

"I know," said Xu. "There's just some things that need taking care of."

Kadowaki nodded, gave her a last warning look, and turned back to the Infirmary.

"Well." Xu said, turning back to Quistis. "Clearly some things have happened since you left. Would you mind going first?"

Quistis nodded, and related the tale of their exploits, which seemed all the more surreal to Nida through her narration. Xu listened with an unreadable expression that didn't change until Quistis had finished.

"I guess that explains a few things," she finally said.

"...It does?" Nida asked.

"We saw the news reports about the attack on the Sorceress," Xu explained. "As soon as it happened, the Faculty started acting strangely. They told all the SeeDs to assemble, but wouldn't say why. Pretty soon, it became clear they were after the Headmaster, too."

"The Faculty?" asked Quistis, frowning.

"They claimed to be acting under instruction of the Garden Master," said Xu. "But the Headmaster was convinced we had to resist them. The students didn't know who to follow. Fighting broke out. It was like we couldn't trust anyone. The Headmaster took shelter in his office, and we SeeDs did our best to keep the Garden Master's faction away from him." She halted, took a breath. "Then the missiles came. Zell and that girl Rinoa had been trying to raise the alarm, but we were too disorganized to do much of anything. Even now, I'm not sure how many people we lost, but nearly a hundred are still unaccounted for."

Quistis nodded, lowering her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Xu shook her head. "Oh, Quistis. Don't go blaming yourself. From the sound of it, you did everything you could have."

"I _failed_, Xu." Quistis looked up, then quickly away. "That's the end of it. First I failed as an instructor, now I've failed as a SeeD."

"No, you _didn't_," Xu snapped. "Quistis—"

"Of course I did, Xu! I tried to stop the missiles, and obviously I didn't succeed; what else can you call that?"

Xu's features hardened. "I call it a really bad day."

Quistis' eyes fell back to the floor. Nida had by now decided he should probably excuse himself, but couldn't really bring himself to speak up. Nor could he bring himself to just sneak away, as that might call attention to his presence as well.

"We've all had missions that didn't go right," Xu continued. "Quistis, you've been a SeeD for three years now. You think it's a failure that this is your first one?" She tried to fold her arms, then winced and gave up. "You're so spoiled sometimes, you know that? When something doesn't go your way, it consumes your whole world. And that's driven you to do some amazing things. But every now and then, something happens that we can't control. And no matter how hard we try, the goal just slips away. It's long past time you learned to live with that."

Heaving a long sigh, Quistis looked back up. "...It just seems like these are the times that really matter," she said. "When I really need to step up — to be the leader people need, or expect..." She shook her head. "I just don't know quite what to do. This sort of thing, it just...it's like it isn't quite me."

Xu laid her hand on Quistis' shoulder. "It was an impossible situation, Quistis. One you should never have been in." She winced. "If anything, it was our fault for letting our guard down. It wasn't like we didn't know something like this might happen, and we should have been better prepared."

Though Quistis barely acknowledged her, Nida frowned. "...It wasn't?" he asked, before remembering the low profile he'd committed to keeping.

Xu regarded him as if he'd just arrived. "The Headmaster didn't tell you?"

Nida blinked. "Um...tell me what?"

Xu took a breath, glancing at Quistis. "You should probably ask him; I don't know all the details either. Honestly, I'd forgotten myself before all this business got started." She hesitated a moment. "The Sorceress..."

Two shadows appeared at the edge of their vision, and Xu cut herself off. They belonged to the robed figures of two Garden Faculty members, who were coming down the hall toward them with that strange, gliding walk that seemed to set them apart from all the surrounding mess.

They came to a halt about three meters away, one taking an additional step forward before doing so — and aiming straight at Nida. His features, as usual, were completely hidden behind that massive, angled yellow hat, though it seemed to look even more sinister than Nida remembered.

"Student ID No. 42047, Nida." He turned, aiming the brim of his hat at Quistis. "SeeD No. 53, Quistis Trepe." He turned halfway back towards Nida. "Master NORG requires your presence immediately. You're to come with us."

Nida and Quistis blinked, looked at each other, then at Xu. The other SeeDs gathered around the nearby table had frozen as well, watching the scene.

"What's this about?" Xu demanded. "What are you after this time?"

The second Faculty member stepped forward. "This is not a discussion."

Xu's remaining hand tightened into a fist, and her whole body tensed into a fighting stance. "The hell it isn't."

"—We'll go," said Quistis, glancing from Xu to the Faculty, then finally to Nida. "I have some questions for him anyway."

"Quistis..." Xu began.

"Xu, I'll be fine." Quistis smiled, if with less than total confidence. After a moment's pause, then, she turned and walked past the Faculty down the hall.

Nida followed. The Faculty turned in unison, and glided along behind them.


	30. Heresy

The entrance to the main lift was buried in rubble, which they had to climb over on their way to the secondary shaft on the north side of the Garden's central column.

Power seemed to have gone out in the main building, with what illumination there was bleeding in from outside — just enough to see the towering column that held up the building's center, and glint off the waters of the pool below. The only direct light came from the panel controlling the northside lift, a glowing red-and-white square on the otherwise monolithic pillar of blackness.

"Sinister" was not a word Nida had ever thought to associate with Balamb Garden's hall before. Or the Faculty, for that matter; they'd always been a curiosity, but now, in the near-darkness, the peculiar way they moved struck him as far more unsettling, even a little inhuman. Though he could easily blame it all on nerves, and shadows playing tricks on him — there were certainly plenty of both.

The lift doors slid open at their approach, just like they always did; inside, the car was lit just as normal. Nida guessed they were run on a different circuit, but that didn't help make this feel right; who ever heard of a disaster where everything was out _except_ the lifts?

One of the Faculty slipped a key into the control panel's reader, entered a three-digit code, and the **B1** light lit up. Nida honestly felt his stomach jump into his throat when the lift began to descend — and it wasn't like he'd never been in one before.

The doors opened into a cavernous room, lined with machinery. All of it looked intact and operational, but Nida couldn't begin to guess what most of it was. An eerie glow came from all the wrong places — the lift shaft, panels in the floor — and something about it all just seemed wrong, but in a strangely familiar way.

Nida realized belatedly that the place felt a lot like the Garden's darkened hall above. Except here all the lights were on.

The Faculty glided silently off to the right, leading them around the elevator shaft. A massive enclosure had been built right onto the column, complete with something that looked like a cockpit. Two man-sized blue orbs bathed the space in front of it in eerie light.

They all came to a halt in front of it. "Whenever Master NORG calls you," one of the Faculty admonished, "be sure to be there within 3 seconds."

Nida blinked. "...What?"

"_Fushururu_..." A sound that came halfway between the rustling of leaves and a cow clearing its throat came out of the giant pod. Then, a booming below-bass voice emerged from it. "3-SECONDS-ARE-UP."

The cockpit swung open, revealing the biggest creature Nida had ever seen. Hands larger than he was waved in front of a head that looked too big for itself, literally rimmed with extra flesh. It wore flowing black-and-white robes that had to have been specially tailored for it, though really only the gigantic sleeves were ever visible behind those gargantuan hands.

Nida had heard plenty of rumors about the reclusive Garden Master. But he'd never heard anything that approached this.

"_FushifuruFushifuru..._" The noise came from somewhere other than NORG's mouth, Nida realized — and quickly afterward, he resolved not to give it any further thought. "GIVE-YOUR-REPORT-ON-THE-SORCERESS."

Nida gulped. He'd never really been disciplined before. Not seriously. He'd never been singled out for criticism, which had made it a little more bearable that he wasn't really ever singled out for praise either. Now, it was just him, Quistis and the Garden Master, who seemed to embody the notion of larger than life.

After a moment, Quistis pulled herself up to salute. Nida realized belatedly that he probably should, too. "...Upon our arrival at Galbadia Garden," she said, "Headmaster Martine informed us that the Sorceress Edea had assumed control of the Galbadian government. He also informed us of the instructions sent from Balamb Garden, and our joint orders to assassinate the Sorceress. We—"

"_Bujurururu!_" NORG gurgled, making Nida jump. "JOINT-ORDERS-FROM-BALAMB-AND-GALBADIA!" The hands slashed across the air above them. "YOU-WERE-FOOLED!"

Quistis blinked. "I...I'm sorry?"

"_Fushurururu..._" The hands withdrew to the confines of the pod. "EXPLAIN-TO-THEM."

One of the Faculty stepped forward. "Master NORG has known about the alliance between the President of Galbadia and the Sorceress for some time. He heard it from the Galbadia Garden master himself."

"...That makes sense," said Quistis. "Master Martine said they'd been following the situation for quite a while."

"_Fushururu..._" NORG continued. "IT-WAS-I-WHO-INSTRUCTED-MARTINE-TO-OBSERVE-THE-SORCERESS."

"Indeed," said the Faculty. "The Sorceress and Garden are closely connected. That's why Sorceress Edea's aim is to subvert or destroy all three Gardens."

"Master NORG anticipated this eventuality," added the second. "When it became clear that the Sorceress would assume a position of power, he sent an official order to Galbadia Garden."

"The assassination order," Nida said, then immediately wished he hadn't as everyone's attention, from Quistis to the Faculty to NORG, immediately focused on him.

"Yes," said one of the Faculty shortly. "An assassination was determined to be the best means. But..."

"_Bujurururu!_" NORG broke in, hands flailing. "THAT-SLY-WEASEL-MARTINE-USED-YOU-AS-A-LAST-RESORT-FOR-THE-ASSASSINATION. HE-GAVE-THAT-ORDER-TO-PLACE-THE-BLAME-ON-ME!" The hands hovered around his head, then emphatically swept out of view. "THAT-THAT-BASTARD."

"...But you just said you sent the order," said Nida, shaking his head. This wasn't making sense, but the whole thing was so surreal that he had to wonder if his brain had just stopped working. "...Unless—"

"We weren't supposed to be there," Quistis supplied. "You wanted Galbadia Garden to carry out the order on its own. So Balamb Garden could deny involvement if the operation were to fail."

"And the operation _did_ fail," said the Faculty sternly. "The Sorceress is alive and...the Sorceress retaliated. Just as we expected."

"No doubt it was the Sorceress who ordered the missile attacks," said the other Faculty member. "Something must be done to calm the Sorceress' anger."

Nida and Quistis looked at each other, in confusion at first. "...So," Nida began, "you were after Headmaster because..."

"You were going to turn him over," Quistis finished. "You couldn't blame Galbadia Garden, so you were going to blame Cid."

"We had to show Balamb Garden's sincerity," said the Faculty. "Handing over those involved in the assassination to the sorceress was the only option."

"_Bujurururu!_" NORG confirmed. "OFFER-THE-SeeD's-HEAD-ON-A-SILVER-PLATTER-AND-PRETEND-WE-OBEY-THE-SORCERESS. A-SACRIFICE-TO-MAINTAIN-MY-GARDEN."

Nida blinked. "But...I don't...that's—"

"You can't expect the Sorceress will go along with that," Quistis protested. "After all she's already done?"

"BE-QUIET!" NORG snapped. "YOU-LOST-TO-THE-SORCERESS! QUIT-YOUR-WHINING!" His hands were positively flailing, and both Faculty members visibly recoiled.

"So let me get this straight."

That was a new voice. Seifer's voice. He was striding up from the direction of the lift. "You guys tried to set up G-Garden to take the fall for you," he said, "and now you're pissed off 'cause it didn't work?"

"WHAT-IS-THIS?" exclaimed NORG.

Both of the faculty were facing Seifer. "This is a SeeD matter, Mr. Almasy. You don't have authorization to be here."

"You guys are insane," Seifer declared. "Have you _seen_ this place? Garden's in pieces up there, and you think I'm gonna be scared by your old rule book?" He walked straight up to the Faculty member, glaring at the shadowed face. "From what I hear, if you guys could really keep anything under control, they could've gotten everyone out before the missiles hit."

"Seifer—" Quistis began.

"The casualties are insignificant," the Faculty retorted, "compared to what else we have lost." He turned back to Quistis — "thanks to your team's incompetence."

"If Garden is to remain economically viable," said the other one, "particularly with the added costs of rebuilding the structure or relocating our operations, cordial relations with Galbadia are essential."

"The time for confronting the Sorceress has passed," the first concluded. "Now we must learn to coexist with her. At least until such time as we can mount an effective challenge."

"Oh, yeah, _right_," Seifer scoffed. "You don't give a damn about challenging the Sorceress. That's why you were playing all those stupid games when you sent these guys out to kill her!" He pointed to Quistis and Nida. "If they hadn't shown up, if you'd had your way, there'd have been a bunch of guys from Galbadia Garden doing the mission all on their own. Even though G-Garden doesn't have a SeeD force, and they aren't trained to use GF. You say you want to take out the Sorceress? Well, there was your chance! Ever think if you hadn't been so half-assed, maybe you could have pulled it off?"

"_Bujururu!_" hissed NORG. "MY-PLAN-WAS-PERFECT! IT-WAS-CID'S-MEDDLING-AND-YOUR-INCOMPETENCE-THAT-PRODUCED-THIS-CATASTROPHE!" He flung his hands outward, the farthest he'd come out of the pod so far. "THAT-IDIOT-CID! LOOK-AT-WHAT-HE-HAS-DONE-TO-MY-GARDEN!"

"What _Cid_ did?" Quistis asked.

"THAT-IDIOT-CID-DISPATCHED-SeeD-TO-KILL-THE-SORCERESS!" NORG continued. "AND-IF-YOU-FAIL? THIS-GARDEN-WILL-BE-DONE-FOR! MY-GARDEN! IT-WILL-BE-ALL-OVER!" His volume was probably as loud as it could possibly be by default; when he got agitated, his voice seemed to gain a progressively higher pitch. It was rising rapidly now. "THAT-IDIOT-CID. HAS-HE-FORGOTTEN-THAT-IT-WAS-I-WHO-PUT-UP-THE-MONEY-TO-ESTABLISH-GARDEN!?" He swept his hands across in a cutting motion. "I-WANTED-TO-OFFER-THE-SORCERESS-CID'S-HEAD-ALONG-WITH-SeeD'S. I-ORDERED-THE-STUDENTS-TO-FIND-CID-BUT-THEY-SIDED-WITH-HIM! _Bujurururu!_"

The two Faculty members were backing in the direction of the lift.

"_Bujurururu!_" Nida thought he felt the room shake with that one. "THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!"

"Like _hell_!" Seifer retorted, eyes smoldering. "You sit down here, in your big secret room, and think Garden's all yours 'cause you wrote a check?" He jabbed a finger straight at NORG's eyes, the sort of Seifer gesture that would usually have looked completely theatrical; but he really sold it this time. "You don't know a _thing_ about Garden! All you did is buy a building. That means all you own now is a pile of rocks."

"WHAT-DID-YOU-SAY!?" NORG squawked. In the distance, the Faculty broke into an eerily gliding run towards the exit. "WHOSE-GARDEN-IS-IT-THEN? IS-IT-CID'S-AND-EDEA'S!? THAT-PATHETIC-MARRIED-COUPLE'S!?"

That stopped even Seifer in his tracks. Nida had become so used to NORG's vaguely deranged ranting that needed a second for its meaning to hit him. Even then, he couldn't quite square it.

Quistis recovered first. "Garden belongs to all of us," she declared, quieter than Seifer but with no less force. "We've trained. We spent years fighting battles to keep Cid's dream alive. And this is why." She took a step forward to stand beside Seifer. "We _must_ defeat the Sorceress. And you can't tell us not to fight that battle."

"_Bushurururu..._" NORG stared at them, hands frozen in the air. He stayed like that for a moment, then started up once again. "NOW-I-UNDERSTAND. CID-AND-EDEA-ARE-TRYING-TO-TAKE-GARDEN-AWAY-FROM-ME. YOU'RE-ONE-OF-CID'S FOLLOWERS-AREN'T YOU!? PREPARE TO DIE!"

The hands disappeared inside the pod. A second later, the cockpit slammed shut, hiding NORG from view. Then the two glowing orbs on the front switched from blue to yellow.

"Look out!" Quistis warned, drawing her chain whip; Seifer's gunblade was out half a second later. Nida ran up to join them, readying his staff.

"_Bujurururu..._" NORG's voice boomed out of the pod. "BLUE-YELLOW-RED. LOTS-OF-MAGIC-WHEN-RED! AS-LONG-AS-COLOR-STAYS, I-WILL-ATTACK-SeeD-WITH-MAGIC!"

"The orbs!" Quistis exclaimed, starting toward one of them.

"No kidding!" Seifer retorted, charging at the other.

Quistis lashed out with her whip, striking the orb, and there was a flash at the point of contact; but it didn't show any damage beyond a scratch that might not have been there before. It did, however, turn from yellow back to blue. Seifer, however, was a half-second slower, and the other orb turned red. The telltale swirling lights of a magic spell were forming around the pod as his gunblade connected, also bouncing seemingly harmlessly off.

Then a bolt of lightning lashed down and caught Nida squarely in the chest. He didn't actually remember being thrown on his back, but that was where he found himself an instant later. Quistis was running over to him.

As he picked himself up, he noticed that something was happening to the pod containing NORG. Bolts of energy were running over its surface, as sparks rained from the ceiling. First one of the orbs, then the other, went black, looking like the energy had burned them straight through.

"WHAT-IS-THIS!" NORG screamed, as the huge machine shuddered its death throes. "DAMN-THOSE-SeeDs! YOU-CAN'T-DO-AS-YOU-PLEASE!" Whole sections of the thing were getting blown off. "_THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!_"

Then there was a massive crack, and all the lights went out. The three SeeDs were plunged into total blackness, and now complete silence. The smell of burnt rubber, and Nida didn't want to know what else, came from NORG's direction.

Quistis produced a lantern, holding it up to observe the pod. "Completely ruined," she pronounced.

"Yeah," Nida agreed. "...That was easy."

Seifer was staring at it, motionless, the tip of his gunblade held just above the floor.

"The power lines took damage when the missiles hit," said Quistis. "It must have affected NORG's device too."

Nida nodded. "Do you think he's dead?"

"I don't know," Quistis said. "I'm not sure if—"

"Guys!"

All three of them turned at the new voice. From the direction of the lift, barely visible until he neared the lamp, came Zell. "Man, I've been looking all over for you guys!" he exclaimed. "Ever since I heard you were back!"

Quistis sighed, with look of tired relief. "It's good to see you, Zell."

"Hey, you too!" Zell replied, much more enthusiastically. "When I saw Xu, she told me about the Faculty, so I was headed for the lift. An' when I got near the lift, I saw the Faculty come runnin' out of it. I guess one of them dropped their keycard, so I figured—"

"No one _cares_, Chicken-Wuss!" exploded Seifer, rounding on him with so much force that everyone was visibly taken aback. Especially Zell.

"Sei..." began Quistis.

"Don't _CALL ME THAT_!" Zell screamed, pulling back like he was about to launch himself at Seifer. "You have any clue what I've been through here? Huh?" He gestured back towards the lift. "Showin' up here an' seeing the students at each other's throats like that? Monsters in the halls? You know what we had to do just to find someone who knew where Cid was, an' trying to get everyone to listen so we could warn them? An' then seeing the missiles —" He couldn't finish the sentence; he was shaking so much that it was hard even watching him.

If Seifer had been shocked by the outburst, it passed quickly. "So, what?" he demanded. "You want a hug? Think someone's gonna pat you on the head and say it's all okay?"

"Shut up!" Zell shouted.

Seifer didn't. "Yeah, you think you're so much better than us, don't you? What, because you were _here_ when the missiles hit? 'Cause you're the biggest whiner whenever someone doesn't behave? Think as long as you cry loud enough, you don't have to bother making any real decisions."

"Shut _up_!" Zell's voice got so high that it seemed to pass outside the range of human healing. In reality, it had probably just given out on him.

"Oh, what's the matter, Zell?" Seifer pressed. "You want a break? You wanna run crying back to Matwyn?"

"I am _NOT_ a crybaby!" Zell exclaimed, balling his fists. "Why are you always – —" His retort trailed off in midsentence, and he stood staring at Seifer for a minute. "...What did you say?" he asked, tone cracking.

Now Seifer _was_ stunned. He stood frozen, not looking at Zell or anyone else, looking lost.

"—Stop this," Quistis said, belatedly taking the moment to step in. "Both of you. Look, I know there's a lot going on here—" She winced, immediately wishing she could take that back in exchange for less of a blindingly obvious understatement; "but the only way we're going to get through this is together. We need to—"

She stopped, looking around. The lamplight reached to the walls, though the shapes weren't much more than shadow. Aside from Seifer, Zell and herself, there was nobody else around.

Unnoticed and unheeded, Nida had already gone.


	31. Truth

The low field that lay between Garden and the Mountains had long been used as a small graveyard, commemorating fallen SeeDs. In the half a day that had followed the missile strike, it had already more than doubled in size.

Quistis found Nida sitting at the foot of one of the newly filled graves, cast in the reddish light of an outdoor lamp. The grave didn't have a proper headstone yet; a SeeD uniform had been hung on a simple wooden trellis that had been set into the ground, with an ID card pinned at the top.

He turned his head just enough to tell Quistis he knew she was there, but didn't actually look around. She stepped up beside him, kneeling to peer at the face on the ID.

"Lauren," she said, closing her eyes. She hadn't been particularly close with the other SeeD, but didn't have any bad memories of her. She'd been especially good with the junior classmen, and Quistis had remembered talk that she'd be an Instructor someday. "I'm sorry."

"She danced with me," Nida said. "At the graduation ball. I mean, she was just being nice, but..."

Quistis tried a weak smile. "I didn't realize you knew each other," she said. It was a silly thing to say, as she hadn't known Lauren that well and hadn't known Nida at all until this week; but it was the only thing she could think of.

"I helped her in mechanics," he replied, eyes still on the grave. "If I'd taken better notes myself, maybe she'd..."

"Don't." Quistis laid a hand on his arm. "You did everything you could."

His head fell, eyes now fixing on the fresh dirt in front of him. It was a long moment before he answered. "...Isolate the root link, and ghost the path to bypass the system's check on the command origin point. Their control software was running on a basic GOS frame; we did a whole chapter on them in class last year." He shook his head. "I could've shut down the missiles from anywhere on the base. I just _forgot_. I can post a 97 on the written test, but not when the answers really matter."

Quistis let out a breath, settling onto the ground beside him. "Nida, I know how it feels," she said. "I was there too. I was the ranking SeeD member. If anyone should have stopped this, it was me. Garden was counting on my leadership, and...I failed."

She wasn't even sure if he heard her.

"Why do you suppose so many missiles missed the Garden?" she tried. "When you realized you couldn't change the missiles' target, you set the error ratio to maximum, right?" He glanced over at her, just for a second. "If you hadn't done that, Garden would have been destroyed completely. That means that everyone here, the hundreds of people who survived, all owe you their lives." He almost seemed to recoil at that; Quistis leaned after him, catching his eyes for once. "You probably did more for the people here than anyone else managed to do. And considering you'd only just graduated...you've been doing an incredible job. Zell, Selphie...all of you. Even Seifer, really."

Nida shifted, looking up at what was left of Garden's main building. "...I'd hate to see what a _bad_ job looks like."

Quistis giggled. She tried to stifle it halfway through, bending over and averting her eyes from the look Nida gave her. "Oh, god. I'm sorry, but..." The moment faded into another kind of gloom, as she looked up at the field of makeshift graves.

"...It is easy, isn't it?" she asked. "Feeling sorry for yourself, going through the what-ifs in your mind, over and over..." Shaking her head, she settled backward and cast her eyes up at the moon. "I'd be a hypocrite if I told you just to get past this and move on; I know you can't. _I_ certainly won't. But the Sorceress, and Squall, and all the others behind this..." She trailed off, glancing over at Nida, then down at Lauren's grave. The girl's face, half-visible in the moonlight, beamed out at them with an energy that came even through the darkness. "They're not finished. And whatever we think of how we've performed so far...we have to make sure they don't give us something new to regret."

If Nida reacted to that, she couldn't tell. Looking up at the mangled remains of Garden's bell tower – the very tips of the ring were catching the scattered moonlight, a skewed shadow of its former self – Quistis stood, laying a hand on Nida's shoulder before she left him with Lauren's grave.

* * *

"_What'd you do that for?"_

"_You ruined everything! Why d'you always have to be so stupid?"_

The voices rang through his head – children, without names or faces, accompanied only by the whistle of a train. Nida hadn't had that dream in a while, and he hadn't missed it. And it felt like even while he was dreaming it, he couldn't really remember what it was about.

He'd slept in his room. The dorms had been mostly undamaged in the attack, so there hadn't been much reason not to. The power was out, of course, but he slept with the lights off anyway.

And now, daylight was streaming through his window. It was a typical summer day – beautiful, with clear skies and a cheery brightness that didn't fit his mood at all. It also gave him his first look at the mess of blast craters, dirt and debris that had consumed the plains.

Someone was knocking at his door. "Yo, you in there?" Zell's voice called.

"...What?" Nida asked.

"Cid wants to see us, in his office. Guess he wants to talk about what's going on."

Nida sighed. "Okay. I'll be there." He stared at the ruined landscape for another moment before glancing at the wall clock – which, of course, was broken. Then he started for the shower, before realizing the water was probably out too. Rather than check, he simply pulled on the clothes he'd been wearing yesterday and headed out.

Cid's office was basically intact, though a few sharp cracks now stretched up his wide picture window, looking a bit like fingers grasping at the room. Cid's desk was right in front of them, and the Headmaster sat there staring down at it. Nida wasn't sure at first that he'd even noticed their arrival.

"Thank you all for coming," he said, running his hands across his face. It didn't accomplish much. "I'm sure you have some questions."

"Are you sure you're all right, Headmaster?" Quistis asked.

He smiled. "You all see me in such an embarrassing state. I had a bit of a rough night, as you can imagine. But in the grand scale of things..." Standing, he looked over the group. "But if I'm right, our troubles have only just begun."

"The Sorceress will try to finish what she started," supplied Quistis.

Cid nodded. "I fear we may never get things back to the way they were."

Nida frowned. Cid's pronouncements were vague enough that he could only guess at any useful meaning; and it seemed like no one in the room was really focused on them anyway. Quistis looked more concerned about the Headmaster himself, while Zell was staring out the window at the destruction and Seifer was brooding by the door.

"Um..." he said, raising a hand. "What's this all about, exactly?"

Cid looked up like he was seeing Nida for the first time. A second later, Nida realized that the others had, too. "...Yes, of course," the Headmaster said. "You all deserve some answers. I only wish there were an easy way to explain."

"Why don't you start with the Sorceress?" Seifer broke in.

Now, everyone stared at him for a second. "Master NORG said," Quistis added, "that you were married." Her tone was quite a bit softer than Seifer's.

Cid smiled. "That's quite right," he said, with a sad nod. "She had been a sorceress since childhood. I married her, knowing that."

Nida was trying hard to make sense of that, but it just wasn't happening. Why would Cid's wife want to blow up Garden?

"We worked together, the two of us," the Headmaster continued. "We were very happy. But...one day, Edea began talking about building the Garden and training SeeD. I became obsessed with that plan. But I was very concerned with SeeD's goal."

"SeeD's goal?" Zell asked. "What are you talking about? What goal?"

Cid sighed, turning away from them to stare out the window. On a day like this, they could see all the way to the cliffs of Dollet, rising just above the ocean; and the beam of light from the communications tower that speared up into the sky.

"SeeD will defeat the sorceress," he said. "The Garden will train SeeD members. The many missions around the world are only training for the final battle against the sorceress. But now that the sorceress has become a major threat, our true mission has begun." He turned back around, removing his glasses and turning them over in his hands. "That's what always worried me, that one day SeeD might fight Edea. She laughed and told me that would never happen. However..."

He didn't finish the sentence. Silence descended over the room, save for a gust of wind that sounded through the window.

"What about Master NORG?" Quistis asked. "Where's he fit in to all this?"

With a wan smile, Cid sank back into his chair. "He is from the Shumi tribe. A black sheep of the tribe, one might say. We met while I was running around trying to raise funds to build the Garden. He became interested in building the Garden, and we hit it off. Thanks to his funding, it was completed." The smile was gone now, and he was starting to slump in his seat. "However, we needed an enormous amount of funds to run the Garden. So, we began dispatching SeeDs around the world as a means of supporting the Garden. NORG's idea was right on the money – an enormous amount of capital began flowing into the Garden. And...the Garden began to change. Lost sight of our high ideals, the truth was covered up..." With a shake of his head, he replaced his glasses and sat back up. "That's probably enough. In the end, it was my fault, for giving up control."

"...I still don't get it," said Zell. "If Garden was Sorceress Edea's idea, why'd she want to destroy it all of a sudden? And why'd she create something that's supposed to fight her?"

"I never understood that, either," said Cid. "She always said it was something we had to do, that our future depended on it. I didn't really understand it then, and I don't understand what she's doing now. But I think...somehow, she knew this day would come."

The room was silent for a moment, as Cid at nothing and the others stared at him. Then, Seifer propelled himself off the wall with a frustrated snort. "Hell with this," he said, storming out through the oaken doors that led to the elevator. No one made a move to stop him.

It was Nida who broke the silence next, surprising even himself. "I have a question."

Cid paused, halfway through wiping his glasses, to look at him expectantly. "Yes?"

For a second, Nida lost track of what he'd meant to ask, as he noticed everyone's eyes on him again and remembered the last time Cid had paid attention to him in this office. _"Even if you don't stand out."_

"I heard you mention something," he said, finally. "You wanted a gunblade specialist in SeeD. That's why you were hoping either Seifer or Squall would graduate." He hesitated; the others kept looking at him. "…Why?"

Cid smiled. "It seems foolish now." He placed the glasses back on his nose. "Until about 40 years ago, during the Holy Dollet Empire, a gunblade was the weapon of the Sorceress' knight."

Zell frowned. "But SeeD's mission is to fight the Sorceress. Isn't the knight supposed to protect her?"

Cid made a sad smile. "Not exactly." He leaned back in his chair, peering absently at some spot above the door. "In any case, it's just an old man's fantasy. I knew I could never protect Edea myself, so I poured all my energy into Garden. I thought this could be our legacy, a force doing good in the world. But I'm afraid life rarely turns out the way you expect."

Things were quiet again. "So what do we do now?" Quistis asked. "Garden's in no condition to mount a campaign. And if the Galbadians are planning another attack..."

"For now, we have to focus on the students," said Cid. "Xu is talking to families in Balamb about taking in the junior classmen. As for the older ones, those with combat training, I fear they might not be safe elsewhere. With the Sorceress gaining power, I'm not sure we have any choice but to face her again."

Nida didn't know what he'd expected. Of course the Sorceress wasn't finished with them; there was nothing surprising about the notion. But when the Headmaster said it, they could see how much it weighed on him. And from what he could tell from the others, they all felt it too.

* * *

Most of the cafeteria was still intact, but the section that collapsed had happened to include the kitchen; so the food consisted mainly of perishables from what was left of the stores, which the cooks were trying to unload before they went bad.

Nida had a pineapple and some bread, and sat at his normal table. There were a few chunks of plaster scattered over it, along with the rest of the area; a few nasty cracks ran through the ceiling, but apparently it wasn't in immediate danger of collapse. Nobody had cleaned the place up yet, though.

He usually ate pretty fast; but today was different. He was hungry enough, but still couldn't really find the motivation. So he was still poking his fork at the pineapple fifteen minutes later, when he looked up to find Rinoa standing over him.

"Um..." she started, fidgeting and breaking eye contact for a second. She had a tray containing an apple, a salad bowl and some gelatin. "Mind if I join you?"

Nida blinked. "...Sure."

Rinoa nodded, looking no more comfortable, and sat down. "Seifer's out training," she said, Nida guessed as a kind of explanation. "Everyone's found something to do. I've been trying to help out where I can, but...I'm starting to feel like I'm just in the way."

"Doctor Kadowaki said you were a lot of help last night," Nida offered. Rinoa smiled for a second, but went on looking preoccupied.

After a few moments of silence, Nida decided he wasn't going to finish with his meal, picking it up and heading for the disposal. The trays were starting to pile up.

"—Can I...ask you something?" Rinoa said, lurching after him and abandoning her own barely eaten meal.

The question stopped him for a second, as he tried to figure out what she could want to know from him. "...Okay," he said, the hesitance creeping into his voice.

"They're saying Galbadia attacked Garden because the Sorceress wants to get rid of any rivals. But some people think it was retaliation. Because of all the trouble SeeD caused for Galbadia." She shifted on her feet, and cast her eyes down at them. "I can't help but think this is kind of my fault, because I hired your team to come to Timber."

Nida's eyebrow twitched. Everyone really could find a way to blame themselves, if they tried hard enough. "...They were probably thinking more about how we tried to kill the Sorceress," he said. "Or when we helped Dollet fight their invasion."

"Still," Rinoa said. "I used to think...if I could get SeeD to help, we could fight off the Galbadians and restore Timber's freedom. But now, it's like people are fighting each other everywhere I go. And I keep thinking about those students, when I first got here, who kept yelling about the Headmaster and the Garden Master right up until the missiles started exploding...and it all just seems so pointless."

Nida kept quiet, not sure quite where this was going. SeeDs were taught all kinds of ways to resolve conflicts without fighting; but by the end of their training, almost all of it went into magic, GFs and techniques. The official message was that fighting was sometimes the only option that worked, though he'd got the impression that people might tend to drop the 'sometimes.' Or to assume that fighting always _did_ work.

"You're going to go after the Sorceress again, right?" Rinoa asked. "Everyone thinks there's gonna be another attack on Garden. I just wonder if...maybe someone really smart can come up with a way, so there wouldn't be any more bloodshed. Because...there's already been so much, you know?"

"I don't think Galbadia's interested in avoiding a fight," Nida said. Then he turned away, ready for the conversation to be over.

"Are you?" Rinoa asked, following him. "When I met Seifer, last summer..." She stalled out, without an end to the sentence. Her eyes were wandering over the floor in front of her feet. "And when I look at him now, it's like he's another person. Especially when the battles start. I thought I was prepared, but...with you guys, it's like everyone's tempo just picks up, and you know exactly what to do. And I try to catch up, but I just can't tell...how far is everyone going? Where will it end? And...will everyone welcome me when I get there?"

Nida blinked at her for a second. "Uh..." He could tell it was really bothering her, but he wasn't sure he had a handle on what she was talking about. "...It's not like we enjoy the fighting," he said. "But they train us to be good at it. And isn't that what you hired us for?"

Looking surprised, Rinoa made eye contact with him for the first time in quite a while. Then she glanced down at her feet. "...Maybe he was right," she whispered. "I really didn't know what I was doing."

_No kidding,_ would have been Nida's response two days earlier. He wouldn't have said it out loud, but he hadn't really gone out of his way to disguise his low regard for the Forest Owls either. But then had come the way they'd bumbled through the assassination attempt, and the fiasco at the missile base, and now he had to wonder just what he had the right to to judge them on. After all, the Forest Owls hadn't had years of training to rely on.

"None of us were ready for this," he said. "Not really.


	32. Fragments of Memories

A Galbadian missile had pulverized the Training Center and the monsters long since escaped, so Seifer had gone to the woods. The aching that was starting to take over his limbs told him that had probably been several hours ago, and now the daylight was starting to fade.

Still, he pressed on. It wasn't as though there was anything at Garden to go back to.

How the hell had everything gotten so messed up? The damned plan had _worked_; he'd captured Deling and linked up with the SeeD team, even if Trepe had dogged him like she was after a gold star. But then Squall had disappeared on him, and after that it seemed like every damn thing Seifer tried ended with him either knocked on his ass or in jail.

And now this. They still hadn't found Fujin and Raijin, Xu had one arm, and all Rinoa wanted to do was talk about how it was maybe their fault for taking on Galbadia. Oh, and Squall had stolen his dream, humiliated him and left him right back where he'd started, getting lost in a forest.

"Dammit!" He'd barely been paying attention to the monster in front of him, and it responded by spraying him with a sticky mess of webbing that jammed the trigger on his gunblade. He hacked at the thing, trying to power through the web, but his swing went wide and the blade got lodged in a tree. "God DAMMIT!"

Because adding insult to injury was the theme of his week, the monster whacked him in the ass while he tried to pull the gunblade out. Which was the final straw; Seifer turned around and incinerated the damn thing in a pillar of fire before returning to free the weapon.

This wasn't working. He was wasting all the high-level magic he'd picked up in Galbadia, and his GF was getting a workout, but he still had the same damn problems, and they wouldn't go away no matter how many Caterchipillars he shot in their stupid facebutts.

Which didn't change the fact that the last thing he wanted to see was Chicken-wuss charging up through the trees. Dincht skidded to a stop as soon as he spotted Seifer, looking a bit like a dog who can't figure out what to do when it catches the truck.

Seifer shook his head. "Where's the fire?" he asked. The words 'Chicken-wuss' were supposed to go at the end of the sentence, but somewhere between his brain and his mouth they got lost.

"It sounded like you were —" Dincht stopped himself halfway through the sentence, frowning at Seifer suspiciously. "Hey, shut up! The hell were you thinking, running off an' not telling anyone? You know what things are like back there?"

Seifer was pretty sure he _had_ told Rinoa what he was doing — something like, "Screw this, I'm gonna go train" — but he didn't care enough to argue. And what the hell kind of question was that, anyway? "'Course I know what it's like. You think I'm out here in the forest 'cause I want to be one with nature?"

Dincht sputtered for a second, doing that thing where he balled his fists and shook like he was being electrocuted. "The hell is wrong with you! They need everyone back at Garden, helpin' with the recovery. You're not just supposed to just run off!"

"_Kids aren't suppose'ta play with fireworks!"_

Seifer winced. That sent a stinging sensation through the scar across his nose, which he'd found was a good way to get his mind off things. Those damn voices and half-remembered scenes had been chasing him all day, and something told him they were important. Maybe even vital. But what the hell kind of sick joke had made Chicken-wuss the key to his childhood?

With a flick of his gunblade, he turned away, trying to remember what Dincht had been saying so he could dismiss it properly. "…The hell do you think 'recovery' even means?" he asked over his shoulder. "Everyone's lying around, wallowing in their misery. They don't need SeeDs for that."

"You're not a SeeD!"

"Well, I SHOULD be!" Seifer had rounded on Dincht before he even knew he was doing it. Damn Chicken-wuss was a lot closer now — must have been running after him again, and clearly hadn't expected Seifer to turn around either; he ended up getting the response yelled right in his face. "I've been the best fighter in that damn place for years, and I'm not so tied up in their damn protocols that I'm scared of taking action! And if Garden hadn't had its head so far up its ass, then maybe there'd be more of it left!"

Dincht had rocked back on his heels, and he was doing that shaking thing again. But this time, he looked genuinely shocked. Sort of like he had down in the B1 level, when —

"_Cry-Ba-by-Ze-ll! Go back to bed!"_

Seifer winced, so hard that his jaw hurt too, and turned away again. He could just see the coastline beyond the trees, and made for it as quickly as he could without looking like he was trying to get away.

"_I'm tell-ing! I'm gonna tell on yoo!"_

They'd been on the beach that night. He'd hidden the fireworks there, so Matron wouldn't find them.

God_dammit_.

"Why do you always think you're so much better than everyone else?" Dincht was following him again. "Like the rules don't apply to you? You really think the world would be better off if everyone acted that way?"

"Oh, you're one to talk." Seifer forced himself to keep walking. "How many times did we have to write you up just this month? Speeding in the halls, disrupting class, disrupting the library. We probably confiscated enough T-boards to start a league."

"That's 'cause you're a jerk, and you're always out to get me!"

"Yeah, it's always someone else's fault when it happens to _you_." Dincht was right behind him now, and Seifer _knew_ he was doing that thing with his fists again; plus, he was making that weird noise like an engine revving. Seifer allowed himself a smirk.

He made it nearly to the edge of the woods before Dincht spoke again. He'd backed off a bit, and his tone was almost timid. "Hey, Seifer," and then another pause. He almost had Seifer wishing he'd get on with it. "How much…do you…remember?"

And there it was. Seifer'd known he wouldn't have run all the way into the woods just to tell Seifer he shouldn't be running around in the woods; even Chicken-wuss wasn't quite _that_ dense. But Seifer thought he'd almost talked his way out of it.

_"Yoooo! C'mon! Stop it! Matwyn, help!"_

The honest answer, the one he'd never actually give, was that he had no idea. There were images and voices that swam together into a mess that he couldn't make ends out of — how much was real memory, how much some stupid dream. Had Trepe really been trying to boss him around his entire life? Had that Trabia girl really been setting off fireworks with him while Squall was off moping about…what the hell _was_ Squall always crying about? Seifer knew that was important somehow, but he couldn't quite grasp the memory.

Instead, he said, "I remember you were always this whiny, if that's what you mean."

"Shut up!" Dincht ran forward, falling in beside him. Seifer tried to walk even faster. "But seriously, where is that place? It isn't Balamb. I mean, I remember a beach, but it had way more rocks, an' these weird ruins. Hey, there's suppose'ta be a ton of ruins down in Centra; you think we might've been there?"

Seifer scowled and shook his head, but couldn't get the image loose. There was the beach, strewn with coarse leaves and broken columns, a wall of rocks on one side and ocean on the other; the tiny strip of sand vanished entirely whenever the tide came in. Down at one end, a finger of rock stretched into the sea, with an old stone lighthouse built on top.

"An' what were we _doing_ there?" Dincht asked. "Was it like a camp or something? I think I remember takin' classes, but…."

"You really can't figure it out?" Seifer stopped at the edge of the woods and turned on Dincht. "Why do you think a bunch of kids would be living in a ruin in Centra? And why do you think so many of them ended up in Garden? It was an _orphanage_, dumbass. They set them up all over down there, 'cause that's the only place in the world that wasn't at war."

He turned away again while Dincht was standing dazed, blinking at him, but didn't get very far. "—Hey, I'm not a dumbass, all right? And that doesn't make sense, 'cause I'm not an orphan! What about my parents in Balamb?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "You're adopted, all right? Get a clue."

For once, Dincht didn't sputter, or protest, or yell something asinine; he just got this weird distant look like his head couldn't quite process the thoughts it was having. Then, for the first time, _he_ turned away.

"…Why the hell did I forget all this?" he asked.

"Who cares?" replied Seifer. "It's ancient history now."

"You don't think it's crazy we've been having the same stupid fights for 13, 14 years?" he demanded, turning back around.

"Not if you're still as big a whiner as you were back then."

"Just shut up and listen, okay?" Zell barely even raised his voice that time. "I'm thinking, maybe losin' our memories is what caused it all. I mean, we can't learn from what happened if we don't remember it, right? So we end up livin' our childhoods over again, 'cause we can't remember growing up."

Seifer was _not_ prepared to start having his life psychoanalyzed by Chicken-wuss. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard," he said, and started walking again.

"Come on, man!" And Zell was back to chasing him. "Don't you think if you could remember the way things happened, you might've done something different?"

"_I'm gonna see her again!"_

Now Seifer blinked. That voice was different. It didn't sound anything like Squall did now, but Seifer knew it had to be him. And he still knew it was important, and still couldn't remember why.

A flash of light caught his attention down by the beach. The evening sun, which had disappeared behind the mountains to the west, was casting long shadows across the landscape, and the water had taken on the sort of flat gray tone of a Balamb evening. So if it weren't for the glint of sunlight on metal, he probably might not have seen the ships at all.

"WOAH!" Apparently Zell had seen them, too. "Is that—"

Seifer brought up his gunblade, checking to make sure he'd gotten the monster gunk out of the trigger. "Guess we're done with Memory Lane."

* * *

The surviving students in the Technical Committee had made it their project to restore power to as much of the Garden as possible. Considering Cid and the senior SeeDs were talking about evacuating, Nida wasn't sure what the point was, but he'd volunteered to help out anyway. He spent the afternoon climbing through the remains of the perimeter fence, trying to work out how much of the defenses could be salvaged. Most of the time had gone into running cables out to the sentry cameras and the streetlights that had avoided getting eaten by a crater. The work was tedious and boring, but after the week he'd been having that was almost a relief.

He didn't notice Xu standing behind him until he managed to restore the video feed of the camera he was checking, and saw her image on the display. "—Ma'am?" he asked, glancing up, turning around and very belatedly saluting.

"Making progress?" she asked, either not noticing or ignoring his discomfort.

"We've got about 40 percent of the security grid back," Nida said. "The rest is going to need major repairs; it would probably take weeks, and that's assuming we get mechanics from Balamb. But this will do a decent job of covering the perimeter."

"Last I heard," Xu said, "power was still out in the Security Room."

Nida nodded. "Yeah, that whole transformer needs to be replaced. We've run the cables up to Instructor Trepe's — er, to that classroom on the 2F, so we can monitor the equipment from the instructor's terminal up there."

Xu's gaze flicked away for half a second, and he could practically see her mind going over the setup. "Sounds good." She turned to walk away, but stopped. "Nice job."

"I'm just helping out."

She regarded him for a moment, and Nida got the impression she was really looking at him for the first time. He tried not to fidget. "Quistis filled me in on your mission in Timber. It was impressive work."

"…Which part?" Nida tried not to sound too incredulous.

"You executed the client's operation flawlessly, even if the president was a decoy. And smuggling the real Deling out of Timber was no small feat." She shrugged with the shoulder that wasn't in a sling. "What's more, it's nearly unprecedented for three new SeeDs to be sent on a mission the day after they graduate. Cid was concerned about it, especially considering how vague the mission was. And the fact that Selphie was new to this Garden."

"And he was hoping Squall would graduate."

Xu's eyebrow quirked at him. "So there is something on your mind."

Nida couldn't help feeling like he'd just been trapped somehow. "Maybe it was my imagination, but when Cid told me I'd be leading the Timber Team…he didn't really seem crazy about the choice. And the day before, when I graduate, he tells me, 'Do your best, even if you don't stand out.'" Once he'd started talking, it was surprisingly easy to keep going. "What was I supposed to do with that? My career's just started, and he tells me I'm destined to be unremarkable?" He had his mouth open to say something else, but his mind had apparently run out of steam.

Xu's expression hadn't changed through his entire diatribe, although he thought her eyes had narrowed by a shade. "Cid doesn't know what your destiny is. You want to know what that advice meant?" She moved to cross her arms, but stopped herself with a shake of her head and put her hand on her hip instead. "A lot of the kids who grow up in Garden think of SeeD as glamorous special agents. But to the rest of the world, we're mercenaries. People don't put up statues to us, and most of the time even our clients would rather nobody knew we were there. You don't become a SeeD to get noticed."

"Story of my life," Nida drawled.

"Is it." She didn't make it sound like a question. "Your academic marks were high, but not excellent. You took a lot of difficult and unusual operational courses, and gave a consistently average amount of effort. In the field exam, you flawlessly executed the orders you were given, and nothing more. It's like you were trying _not_ to stand out."

Nida was having trouble focusing on what Xu was saying while he grappled with the fact that this conversation was even happening. "You…memorized my file?"

She did the thing with her eyebrow again. "Three students graduated this year. It wasn't hard."

"…Right."

"Now, if Squall or Seifer had graduated from your class, we might have sent one of them to Timber instead." She seemed to think the revelation was just as obvious as Nida did. "But it wouldn't have been an obvious choice. True, you're an average fighter, and you've got a fairly low GF affinity, but you're clever and resourceful. To be honest, we could use more SeeDs like that."

For a second, Nida thought that was the most backhanded compliment he'd ever heard. Then he remembered who he was talking to, and began to think it was the highest praise he'd ever received. "…Um," was all he managed to say.

"Don't worry so much," said Xu. "About your abilities, or what others think, or any of it. You have a good sense of discretion, but if you lean on it too much, then it's just self-doubt. And then you're useless as a SeeD. Or worse."

Recognizing that the pep talk part of the conversation was over, Nida straightened a bit. "Ma'am."

Xu saluted, then turned to walk back toward the main path. Nida was just turning back to the sentry camera, when a flash of light caught their attention. A red flare, leaving an arc of smoke that glowed in the evening sun, glared at them from the darkening sky.

"Nida," Xu called. "Is that security grid online?"

Nida glanced down at his console to be sure. "Such as it is, yeah."

"Good. Find the patrol teams, and make sure they're accounted for. I'll rally Garden's defenses, and tell everyone the Galbadians are here.


	33. Drifting

Garden's defenders had known they were beaten as soon as the flare went up. Xu's half-completed plans to have the remaining SeeDs hide in the forest and flank the attackers were barely even discussed, since the scouts' reports quickly convinced her there was no point. The Galbadians had brought so much force, in both soldiers and armor, that Garden could not come close to repelling any attack.

From what Quistis could see, the Galbadians knew it too. They made a show of encircling the ruined Garden, with forces weaving their way between missile craters to spread out across the countryside. But it wasn't long before a small group of vehicles came driving straight up the road, cool as they pleased, like any other convoy on any normal day.

Unchallenged, three armored personnel carriers and two Iron Clad tanks rolled straight up to Garden's front gate, depositing two dozen troops to form ranks on the cracked pavement. A half-dozen SeeDs had taken positions behind the gates, but a few shots from the tanks' beam cannons would make short work of them.

Squall emerged from one of the vehicles, wearing the same worn black jacket and pants he'd favored through most of his last year at Garden. His gunblade was hanging from the studded belt at his side, and the scar across his nose looked fresh as the day he'd taken the bandage off. If leading an army to storm what was left of his former home had made any impact on him, it didn't seem to show.

"I'm here for Ellone," he said, eyes looking straight through the defending SeeDs. "Where is she?"

It was good that Quistis didn't need to deal with him, because her mind needed a long moment just to register what he'd said. And even then, it didn't make sense.

Xu stepped forward, so her face was framed by the bars of the Garden's main gate. She stood nearly a head shorter than Squall, and what remained of her arm was still wrapped in a cast, but even from her angle Quistis could feel her glare. "You have a lot of nerve, coming here," she said. "Do you know how many people died in the attack, Squall? Missiles don't discriminate. They take old and young alike, fighters or not. Some were just kids."

Squall glanced away, scowling, raising a hand to the scar on his nose. Retreating into his own thoughts again, Quistis knew, and she had never found the move less endearing. "There's no point discussing it," he said. "Where's Ellone?"

Xu stared at him another moment. "If you wanted her alive," she said, "you shouldn't have sent the missiles first."

"I know she survived," replied Squall. "And that SeeD has been protecting her. If you hand her over, the Sorceress will leave you alone."

"You expect us to believe that?" Xu scoffed.

"SeeD is no longer a threat to the Sorceress. Her only concern is Ellone." Squall raised a hand, motioning to the troops behind him. As one, they adjusted their weapons to a slightly more menacing angle. "If you won't cooperate, I'll be forced to use other methods."

"You can try," said Xu. "Even if I trusted the Sorceress, Ellone isn't mine to give over. And even if she were, she left after the attack. Cid knew it wasn't safe for her here."

"You're lying." Quistis knew Squall well enough to tell that it wasn't suspicion clouding his face. It actually looked closer to desperation. "Bring her out right now, or I'll destroy what's left of Garden."

"Squall, why are you doing this?" blurted Quistis. "This place was your home! Can you really be so unfeeling about what the Sorceress has done?"

He hadn't so much as looked at her so far, and barely spared her a glance now. "I just want Ellone," he said, directing the words back at Xu.

Despite making a small shake of her head, Xu never broke his gaze. "I told you," she said. "Ellone is —"

"Squall!"

Seifer came crashing out of the underbrush on the far side of the street, sending a sort of shock wave through the line of Galbadian soldiers. Even one of the tanks lurched backwards, apparently fearing some kind of flanking maneuver. As it happened, only Zell followed Seifer out onto the street. "I was hoping I'd see you again."

At least that managed to get Squall's attention for more than half a second. He turned, hand reaching for his gunblade but stopping halfway there. "Seifer," was all he said.

"I see you brought some more lackeys to do your dirty work for you?" Seifer leveled his gunblade straight at the scar between Squall's eyes, as if there weren't a dozen meters and two dozen soldiers in between them. "Why don't you take on someone who can actually fight back?"

Quistis had never known Squall not to rise to one of Seifer's challenges, so seeing him fold his arms was almost the most surreal part of the scene. "I already beat you, Seifer," he said. "There's no point in doing it again."

"What the HELL, Squall?" Just behind Seifer's left shoulder, Zell was balling his fists. "Takin' up arms with the Sorceress? How could you do this to all your friends?"

"Ask Seifer." Squall's voice remained perfectly flat. "It's like you said. I'm one step closer to my dream."

"Dream about this." Seifer charged at him.

He hadn't made it four steps before the Galbadians had him surrounded. The first clash of his gunblade against a Galbadian saber seemed to jolt Zell into action, and he leapt forward to deck the first soldier to come within range. Squall unhooked his gunblade, but didn't look in any hurry to join the fray, as the Galbadian troops closed in to surround Seifer and Zell. "Open the gate!" Quistis exclaimed, uncoiling the head of her chain whip as the other SeeDs readied their weapons. Xu was shaking her head, but stepped forward into an offensive pose as she raised her remaining good arm.

"Stop!" At first the voice barely carried over the clashes of battle, but something about it caught in Quistis' mind. Xu reacted, too, motioning for the SeeDs to hold their ground.

Then the voice called out again, and Squall took notice. "Stand down," he ordered, and the Galbadians obeyed, retreating back toward the tanks. Seifer and Zell stood frozen for a moment, exchanging a confused look.

A young woman ran through the line of SeeDs, coming to a stop just under the arch where the gate had started to swing apart. It took Quistis a moment to place her as the strange visitor who had appeared in the infirmary on the night she'd lost her Instructor's license, asking after Squall. And when she looked at Squall, Quistis found another surprise: As quiet as he was, during all his time at Garden she could tell that some thought was always on his mind. This was the first time he truly looked speechless.

"Hello, Squall," the woman said, after they stared at each other for a moment. "Do you remember me?"

Squall took half a step forward, then stopped, straightened, and that lost look in his eyes disappeared behind his new cold mask. "It's been a long time," he said.

The woman sighed, making a small nod. "Yes, it has." Her voice sounded sad. "You've changed."

"You left." The ice had returned to Squall's voice.

"Ellone…" Xu began, her eyes not leaving the Galbadian troops.

"I'll go." The woman was speaking directly to Squall. "I don't want any more bloodshed on my behalf. But you have to give me your word that nobody here will be harmed."

"That's up to the Sorceress," Squall replied.

"No, Squall. It's your decision." Ellone's voice had hardened, too. She folded her arms. "Because I won't go anywhere with you unless your army leaves first."

They looked at each other for another long moment. A breeze gusted in from the coast, blowing Squall's hair in front of his face and obscuring his eyes. Quistis caught herself holding her breath.

Finally, Squall looked away, hand reaching for his forehead again. "I'll be waiting at the beach," he said, looking back up at Xu. "If Ellone isn't there within the hour, the lives of everyone here will be forfeit." With that, he turned and walked back to the transport.

"That's it?" demanded Seifer, still separated from Squall by a squad of Galbadian soldiers. "Go ahead, run all you want. There's nowhere you can hide!"

When Squall hesitated, Quistis remembered every time Squall had almost walked away from before Seifer goaded him into a fight. And when he turned to look back at Ellone, standing in the gate, that same determination was in his eyes. "Squall, no!" she shouted, because she always had to try. And because he never listened, it didn't make a difference.

Squall spun around, threw out his arm, and a blast of magic hit Seifer so hard that he flew back off his feet. By the time he hit the ground, the energy had frozen to leave him half-encased in ice. Then, Squall turned away and nodded at his soldiers as though nothing had just happened. "Move out," he said.

By the time Seifer had struggled to his feet and shaken off the last of the magic, the transport vehicles were retreating down the road. The entire Galbadian force had halted its advance, and had begun to retrace its path toward the beach.

"Ellone," Xu was saying, "I appreciate what you're doing. But we have no idea what the Sorceress has in store for you."

The woman smiled. "You were right. I should have left sooner, when I had the chance. I just hoped…" She shook her head. "Well, it doesn't matter now."

"We can't just let Squall get away with this!" Zell had run up to join them. "Coming back here and threatening everyone? The guy's totally lost it!"

"I'm not sure about that," said Quistis. "He's done things I would never have thought him capable of, but…somehow, it is still him. I think he'll keep to his word."

Xu shook her head. "As serious as this is, Squall isn't my main concern. He said himself, Sorceress Edea is calling the shots."

"I know," said Ellone. "And that's why I need to go." She looked at Seifer, then Zell, then Quistis, and there was that strange sense of familiarity that Quistis' mind didn't know how to explain. "I need to be sure."

Xu sighed, shaking her head. "We should inform Headmaster Cid about the situation."

As it became clear the Galbadians were making good on their withdrawal, the SeeDs began to disperse. Xu and Ellone returned to Garden; Seifer stormed off a moment later, glaring at the ground. Zell walked down to the road, where he could watch the Galbadian forces. And Quistis spotted Nida, hovering by the gate, where he'd been standing with the rest of the defensive team throughout the incident.

"That…didn't go the way I expected," said Nida, when she walked over to join him.

"Well, at least there wasn't a battle." Another gust of cool evening wind caught her from behind, sending a chill through her clothes and up the back of her neck. "But why does it feel like we've already lost?"

* * *

The last time Nida had been in one of SeeD's armored personnel carriers, he'd been on his way to Balamb harbor for his field exam. Now, he was sitting next to Quistis while the vehicle jolted its way over the countryside towards the beach, where the Galbadian army was waiting. Ellone sat opposite them, not making eye contact.

None of them had spoken since climbing into the vehicle, when Xu had instructed them to make sure Ellone reached the Galbadians without incident. Nida caught himself wishing someone would start a conversation about hockey, or movies, or any one of the pointless topics his fellow students had used to take their minds off the field exam during that last trip. But he wasn't about to start one himself.

Finally, after several long minutes, Quistis spoke up. "…Have you been at Garden ever since the field exam?" she asked.

Ellone nodded. "Cid asked me to come. Edea had disappeared, and he was worried about her." A sad smile crossed her face. "It seems he was right."

That answer just made Quistis' frown deepen. "You and Squall know each other. He never socialized much while he was in Garden, and I don't think he ever left Balamb. Was it from before he was enrolled here?"

"You still don't remember?" Ellone seemed to slump a little as she asked the question. Quistis blinked, straightening a little, and Ellone looked down at her knees.

Nida waited another uncomfortable moment before he found himself speaking up. "Squall brought an entire army to Garden," he said. "But all he wanted was you. I mean…what makes you so important?"

Ellone smiled at that. "I wonder, sometimes. It feels like I've spent half my life running or hiding. Since long before I understood this wasn't how most people live. And I've been trying to understand what it's all been for."

The vehicle lurched again, and then the floor dropped into the sort of muffled friction that signaled they had reached the Rinaul coast. The Galbadian landing craft wouldn't be much farther now.

"It all started so long ago now," Ellone said, half to herself. "It's so strange to remember that. Especially since…" She shook her head again, looking back up at Quistis. "People say you can't change the past. But even still, if there's a possibility, it's worth a try, right?" After another quiet moment and getting another confused look, she sighed and leaned back against her seat. "We make so many mistakes in our lives, because we don't know what's happening around us. If we could go back, with that knowledge, and try again…we could put an end to so much grief."

"Go back to the past…" Quistis was frowning. "Those dreams we've been having. Laguna, Kiros and Ward. Was that you? Have you been doing this to us?"

That seemed like a leap to Nida, until he saw the look on Ellone's face. "…How's that even possible?" he asked. "There's no magic I know that can send you back in time."

"No one's ever been able to explain it to me, either." Ellone shrugged. "Well, a few people tried, but…it didn't really make much sense."

Nida's mind was trying to work out how any of this could make sense. Even the most powerful time magic could only stop a clock, not reverse it. The idea that time never moved backward was as close to an inviolable law of the universe as anything that he knew.

Quistis, apparently, had a more practical thought. "This is why the Sorceress is after you. She's after your ability. But why?" Then an even worse thought struck her. "If she could manage to control this power…"

The vehicle came to a halt. A second later, the door to the driver's compartment slid open and Zell stepped through. "Guys, we're here."

Ellone nodded, standing up. "I guess we're out of time."

"Ellone, wait." Quistis caught the woman's arm as she took her first step away from the vehicle. "If the Sorceress…"

"I know." Ellone made a reassuring smile that looked very well practiced. "It'll be okay, Quistis. Don't worry about me."

Nida stepped out first. The last traces of twilight had disappeared; he stood under a moonless sky, the stars drowned out by floodlights that glared down on him from the Galbadian transport craft. A host of soldiers had ringed the vehicle, weapons aimed at them. He made sure not to make any sudden moves, and that his GF was equipped.

Quistis stepped out next, then Ellone, then Zell. Squall stepped out from the line of Galbadian soldiers, staring at them silently across the stretch of sand. With a nod at him, Ellone turned back to Quistis. "Be safe," she said, with a different, warmer smile. "Take care of the others."

They looked at each other another moment. "I know you too, don't I?" asked Quistis. "How? Who are you? And why don't I remember?"

"I wish I knew." Ellone hugged her, and Nida caught her whisper something in Quistis' ear just before they pulled apart. When they did, Quistis looked almost in tears. Then Ellone rested a hand on Zell's shoulder — he looked just as confused — turned, and started to walk away.

"—Hold on a second." Nida almost took a step after her, then glanced at the mass of Galbadian troops and thought better of it. "This business with Laguna, Kiros and Ward. You started doing it right after you came to Garden. When you were worried about the Sorceress. If you're trying to fix the past…how are they connected to all this?"

Ellone looked at him the way people always looked when they noticed him after he'd been standing there a while. Then she shook her head. "For a long time, I thought it was all because of me. Now, I'm not so sure."

With that, she walked away. When she reached Squall, he turned and led her past the Galbadian soldiers and out of the patch of sand illuminated by floodlights, both of them melting into the dark. The troops followed, dark shapes converging into the vehicles; then the floodlights snapped off, the ships' engines rumbled to life and and the craft slid back out to sea.

The three SeeDs watched as the Galbadian assault force shrunk into a line of running lights and the stars faded back into their vision. Finally, Nida broke the silence. "…What did she say?" he asked, glancing at Quistis. A vertical streak on her face glistening in the light from the Garden Car's interior lamps and, it took him a moment to tell it was a tear.

Quistis kept staring out to sea, for long enough that Nida wondered if she'd heard him. Then she turned back toward the transport, wiped her eyes, and turned back to look at him. "She said, 'You're my only hope.'"

None of them spoke again for the whole drive back to Garden


	34. Where I Belong

A light fog had rolled in during the night, covering the landscape in a pale haze that made the world seem to end at the Garden's broken walls. Rinoa wondered if that could help explain the mood that had descended over the place: Students who had been working hard to keep themselves busy, from clearing rubble around the collapsed buildings to stuffing themselves before the cafeteria food went to waste, were now wandering aimless through the ruins.

She guessed the previous evening's confrontation with the Galbadians had been a kind of turning point as well, showing them just how powerless they were. Cid had still not emerged from his office, and even Xu was looking more and more run down. Rinoa was having a harder time avoiding the thought that she was witnessing the end of Garden.

After a glum breakfast of packaged food, she found Seifer perched atop a pile of rubble in the remains of the Quad's stage area. He had his gunblade laid across his legs, and was scrubbing at the blade with one of the coarse canvas sheets he kept in his coat. She knew he'd noticed her, but his attention stayed on the gunblade as as she made her way up the debris.

"What's up?" she asked, dropping down to sit beside him. "I haven't seen you in a while. Off fighting the bad guys, right?"

Apparently not, judging by the way he tensed at the words. The blade of his weapon had what looked like layers of blood, slime and some kind of webbing dried on it, and Seifer seemed to be making slow progress clearing it off. She wondered if he'd been out fighting monsters all night.

"Wanna talk about it?" she tried, managing to predict his reaction this time. "If you don't, maybe you could show me T-Rexaur. You promised, remember?" She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and craning her neck to look up at him. "I'll even scream really loud, and call for my hero to come save me."

That got Seifer to look up, abandoning the gunblade long enough to glare at her with tired eyes. "What do you want from me?"

Rinoa sighed. Ever since appearing in Timber with President Deling as a hostage, Seifer had seemed almost completely different from the lively, grinning boy she'd met last summer. What she really wanted was to get that guy back.

"I looked for you, you know," she said. "When I came to hire SeeD for the Timber liberation mission. You said you'd show me around Garden, when I came."

Seifer made a noise, returning his attention to his gunblade. "I wasn't going to stick around and watch while they paraded all the new SeeDs in their fancy new uniforms, right after they stole my dream." After worrying at one of the last patches of gunk on the weapon, he threw down the rag and made a frustrated swipe with the gunblade. "And you know what they did the next day? They called me to the Disciplinary Room, like I was just some offender. I had to sit through hours of interrogation about the field exam. Like denying me SeeD status wasn't enough."

"What happened on the exam?" Rinoa had heard a bit of the story from Nida and Zell, but not the part that was probably important right now. "You went to Dollet, right? You caught the Galbadians restoring the communications tower."

"Only 'cause I took initiative." Seifer launched himself to his feet, slinging his gunblade over his shoulder and rocking the weapon back and forth. "If it wasn't for me, we'd have had no idea what that invasion was about. If Garden hadn't been so caught up with its own bureaucracy, we could have stopped them then and there."

Frowning, Rinoa stood up as well. "You know, if the Galbadians hadn't been able to get the communications tower working, then President Deling wouldn't have come to Timber for the broadcast. And then you couldn't have come and captured him for us."

Seifer scoffed. "They almost didn't even tell me if Cid gave you the contract. And when I asked them what the hell they were thinking, sending three rookies against the whole of Galbadia? They said, 'It's none of your concern.'" With a shake of his head, he turned away again.

Rinoa got the impression that she wouldn't be getting through to him this way.

"You've changed, Seifer." He turned back around at that, but she spun away, pacing in a circle at the perimeter of the rubble. "The guy I met last summer didn't spend all his time fuming about what other people did to him. He always had some great new plan. Even when he didn't, he'd say, 'Just leave it to me,' and somehow he'd find a way." She stopped, pivoting to look back at him. "We were sneaking around, posting copies of Anarchist Monthly on alley walls, before you came along. You made me believe we could be a real resistance."

Judging by the look on his face, Seifer wasn't quite sure whether to be annoyed or not. "So what the hell am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Whatever I try, things get more messed up than before."

"I know." Rinoa could hardly offer much advice on that point. Usually, he'd been the one with the encouraging words.

Then it came to her. "…Remember when you taught me how to fight? You said I should stick to ranged weapons, because I hit like a girl." She smiled, remembering the tone in Seifer's voice when he'd been instructing her, and the mess she'd made out of his training regimen. "But you also told me that the little battles don't matter in the end. They're just how we get ourselves ready. Because we're doing something BIG. And as long as we keep striving for that goal, we can't really be defeated."

Seifer actually did smile at that, but the expression had a distinctly wan overtone. "Yeah. And what do you do when someone else takes that goal away from you?"

Rinoa thought she was finally starting to understand. "You mean that other guy? Squall?"

Just hearing the name prompted a sort of growl from him. "You know the worst part?" Seifer swung out his gunblade, sighting at an imaginary opponent for a second with his finger on the trigger. Then he lowered the weapon and clipped it back to his belt, jumping down from the pile of debris. "He never even _cared_. It was all about proving something to himself. And now he's got everything I ever wanted, and he humiliates me at every turn, and he _still_ doesn't care. He's off in his own little world, and to hell with what happens to the rest of us."

By the end, he had walked right past her, glaring off across the countryside beyond the Garden's ruined walls. At the edge of one of the craters, she could see a pair of students fighting what looked like a Grat. According to Seifer, the creatures had never been found outside the Training Center, at least before this week. Briefly, she wondered how many more monsters the Galbadians would release on the world before all this was done.

"Look," she said, taking a step into Seifer's peripheral vision. "I don't know Squall. But I know your dream wasn't about blowing up schools or torturing your friends. Building a world where people die or live in fear…that's everything we fought against in Timber. And if that's what Squall took from you, maybe it isn't worth having."

"You're missing the point." Seifer didn't look at her.

"No, I'm not." Rinoa folded her arms. "Maybe things didn't work out the way you expected. That doesn't mean they can't work out."

Seifer didn't answer this time. Sidling up to him, she slipped an arm around his. Seifer only flinched a little.

"I'm sorry you lost your dream," she said. "But…maybe you just have to find a new one."

* * *

The junior classmen bounded out of the Garden transport as though they were off on a great adventure, not being moved to temporary housing because their dorms no longer had plumbing. Quistis had seen a few arrivals by now, and not all had been so energetic; plenty of kids had friends in the infirmary, or still buried under the rubble. This group, though, had taken to their ride like a summer field trip. She supposed there were worse ways to handle the news.

"Make sure you don't leave anything behind," she reminded them. "This car's going straight back to Garden."

Balamb had no orphanage — Balamb Garden had served that function for more than a decade — so everybody knew this could only be a temporary arrangement. But Quistis hadn't heard anyone suggest a workable permanent solution.

After seeing the children to a house along the town's main road, she paused to take a breath. The street was full of kids now, the way the Quad would be on the last day of summer when all the junior classmen were coming to terms with the fact that a carefree chapter of their lives was about an end.

A familiar, agitated voice from one of the nearby houses drew her attention, and a crashing noise quickly followed. She stepped in the open door to see Zell crouching protectively over an overturned box that had been trying to contain a miscellany of personal effects, including a full-sized punching bag, a blue T-board and at least two combat rifles.

"That is AWESOME!" said one of two youths whom Zell was trying to shoo away from the box. Quistis wasn't sure if he was pointing at the T-board or the rifles. "Can I try it?"

"Hands off!" Zell exclaimed. "This stuff's MINE!"

"Why don't you kids go take a look at the room now?" A kindly woman whom Quistis guessed was Zell's mother took charge of the children, herding them around the box and away up the stairs.

"Man…" Shaking his head, Zell knelt and tried to stuff the items back into place.

"Need a hand?" Quistis asked, although it looked like what he really needed was a second box.

"Ma's letting some junior classmen stay in my room," Zell replied, trying to right the box again. "So I've gotta move out all my stuff. I mean, I know they can't stay at Garden anymore, but — arghhhh!" One of the box's corners seemed inclined to stay crumpled, and the whole thing nearly spun out of Zell's hands before Quistis jumped forward to catch it. One item, a framed photograph that had been precariously perched near the top of the box, tumbled out and rapped against the floor, leaving a crack across its pane.

"Take it easy." Quistis retrieved the photo, examining the damage. The frame looked intact, and the picture itself — showing a middle-aged man in a Balamb army uniform — seemed fine. "It's all right. These are hard times for everyone."

Zell shook his head. "I knew this was gonna happen! I mean, I know they've gotta stay somewhere, but…" He dropped to the floor, shaking his head.

"It's good that they're still upbeat about this," said Quistis. "Their lives are changing in ways they can't fully understand. A lot of them came to us as orphans not so long ago, and now they've lost their home again."

"Yeah, I know." Zell paused, scratching the back of his head. "Arghhh! The hell is Squall thinking, doin' this to Garden?" Especially if Edea founded the place!"

Quistis shook her head. "Clearly, we don't know the full story yet. But for the time being, we need to focus on things that are within our control." Easy words to say, she thought, though her mind wasn't really behaving any better than Zell's. After another second, she decided to change the subject. "Who is this?" she asked, holding out the photo. "Your father?"

"My granddad." Zell hesitated after he said that, a shadow passing over his face before he took the photo. "He played a big role in the last war."

"He was in the Expeditionary Force?"

Zell nodded. "He was actually a teacher before all the fighting, but after Esthar attacked, they put him in charge of a whole regiment. He was right there on the front lines for some of the biggest battles." After staring at the photo for another moment, he set it down on the floor in front of him, slouching a bit. "He's the person I look up to the most. He wasn't just strong. He knew when to attack, when to retreat…Any kind of situation, he maintained his composure and stayed cool. I kinda wish I knew how he did it."

Quistis nodded. "I take it he's not around anymore?"

He just shook his head. Then, after staring at the photo for another moment, he snatched it up and jumped to his feet. "…What are we going to do now? We're going after Squall, right? And now we've gotta get Ellone back, too! What's the plan, Instructor?"

To Quistis, it felt like she'd lost her Instructor's license a lifetime ago, although it had really been barely a week. Plenty of students still used the title out of habit, or because they honestly hadn't heard, and Seifer did it to needle her, but Zell was the only SeeD who still did it.

"I wish I knew," she said. "What are you going to do with all this?"

Zell shrugged. "Take it back to Garden, I guess. Ma's gonna need all the space she can get around here."

"All right, then." Quistis laid a hand on the box to steady it as Zell placed the photo back in. "Let's take care of this, for a start."

* * *

Nida had thought he'd adjusted to seeing the Garden in ruins. But he hadn't visited the Library before now, and for some reason, it was all coming back. Seeing the toppled bookshelves covered in rubble, or the columns that jutted up into the sky because the walls and ceilings had collapsed around them, was somehow even more disturbing as his first sight of the half-destroyed building.

It began to dawn on him just how much time he'd spent in the place, reading or studying or tutoring Lauren. Their favorite desk was still there, he saw: Second from the right, between the overturned plant and the pile of broken wall.

A pair of girls were picking through the rubble around the bookshelves. Collecting the books, Nida realized. Several boxes had been placed in the least damaged section of the room, and the girls were busy retrieving the surviving volumes of the library's collection. It looked like they'd been trying to clear out the rubble by hand, and so they hadn't made a lot of progress.

The nearer of the two girls had to actually look up at him before he recognized her. A bandage covered one side of her forehead, her uniform jacket was torn at the shoulder, and her hair was tied in only the loosest possible approximation of her usual pigtail. She had the haggard, red-eyed look of someone who'd spent a lot of time crying, and very little time asleep. When she saw him, she made half a smile for about a second, then went back to boxing the armload of books she was carrying.

"Need a hand?" he asked, stepping up after a second's hesitation.

Paige nodded. "Thanks." Nida knelt down, and she carefully transferred the top half of her stack to him. "We're trying to recover as many books as we can, before it rains or anything. But with everything else that's going on, the library isn't much of a priority."

Nida knew what she meant, and felt a little guilty that he hadn't come by sooner. "I hadn't thought about that," he admitted. "Suppose I wouldn't have made much of a librarian after all."

"I guess they had you busy doing SeeD stuff, right?"

Her tone was unreadable, so Nida just nodded. "For all the good it did. The surveillance system is back up and running, but I don't think the Galbadians were that intimidated."

Paige didn't reply, focusing on packing a couple more books into a nearly-full box. While she was, the second girl arrived with another stack. "Hey, Nida," she said, picking an empty box in which to deposit them.

"Hi, Mel." At the start of the year, when Nida had decided not to rejoin the Technical Committee, Mel had tried to recruit him into the Library Committee instead. He'd never quite been sure why, since otherwise they hardly ever spoke; and today was no exception. By the time Nida noted that she looked almost as disheveled as Paige, she was on her way back into the rubble for more books.

It took him another moment to realize what was wrong with the scene. "…Where's Kat?" he asked, glancing at Paige and hoping he was guessing the answer wrong.

Paige looked away again, and Nida followed her gaze to the one pile of rubble that had clearly been disturbed. "…It took us a whole day to get her out," she said, voice hollow. "At first, we didn't even know where to look. We were sure she didn't make it. Then we heard her." She glanced down at her hands, and Nida noticed the callouses and tiny cuts on her fingers. "We were at it all night. I think Zell must have picked up half the wall by himself. When we reached her, she was passed out, and…." She shook her head. "I feel like we should be with her, you know. Just in case she wakes up. But…Dr. Kadowaki said we couldn't do anything. And someone should take care of the books."

Nida tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. A bird chirped down at them from atop the broken wall, where it seemed to be at work building a nest.

"I should've been here," he said. "I bet if Zell had been at the missile base, he could've just punched the launchers and made them land in the ocean."

Paige blinked at him. "I'm…kind of glad he was here." Then she glanced away; he thought he caught her blushing under all the grime on her face. "—You don't really think it was your fault, do you?"

"Everyone keeps telling me I did fine," Nida said. "As well as anyone could expect. And I know I asked for this kind of responsibility when I applied for SeeD, but…" He shook his head, dropping back to sit on the floor. "I'm not cut out to be an action hero. I think I'd have done a lot better if I'd just stayed here at Garden."

Paige shook her head. "You'd hate yourself for that." She dropped down to sit opposite him, and looked him straight in the eye. "We didn't even know anything was wrong until that broadcast of the parade. And even after…I never knew what was going on. When the fighting broke out, it was just a lot of shouting in the halls. And when the missiles…" She stopped, her gaze drifting somewhere else until she shook her head and pressed on. "Everyone was screaming and running around. We had no idea what to do, or where to go. And I just kept thinking, 'Why is all this happening?' I could have died without ever knowing."

It was Nida's turn to look away. She caught his gaze again by leaning forward, hugging her legs. "Even if you didn't succeed, at least you had a chance. And if it wasn't enough…it was still more than most people could do, because they weren't even there. I think…sometimes it just matters if you try."

They sat staring at each other for a moment that dragged on long enough to be uncomfortable. Mel returned with another pile of books, deposited them, and left again without a word. Nida tried to think of something to say, but his mind felt completely derailed.

He finally snapped out of it when all the birds took flight. In addition to the one he'd seen before, at least a dozen had apparently been resting on top of the walls; and given the way the Garden's luck had been going, their sudden departure seemed like an ominous sign.

A second later, his ears weighed in, as a low metallic hum began to rise in the distance. "Do you…?" he started to ask, but Paige had clearly heard it too. They stood, trying to guess which direction it was coming from.

"Guys?" Mel was apparently well ahead of both of them; she stood in the doorway of the library's emergency exit, waving them over. "You've gotta see this."

Based on Mel's expression — not fear, more like some mixture of confusion and disbelief — Nida didn't even bother guessing what he'd find when they stepped outside. Even so, he wasn't prepared for what he saw coming out of the receding fog.

It was about the size of Balamb Garden's central building, shaped a bit like an upside-down wedding cake and painted in shades of pale green. A silver, spinning ring was anchored around its center level, and the whole thing was gliding a good fifty meters above the ground.

A crowd was quickly gathering as it approached, passing straight over the perimeter fence and coming to a stop over the open courtyard before beginning to descend. Everyone seemed too confused, or transfixed, to be concerned.

"Wait," Paige said, tugging his arm. "Doesn't that look like…?"

Nida realized that he recognized it, too. Its shape had changed a bit from the pictures, and it shouldn't be hovering in the air, but there was no mistaking the architecture, the pattern painted on the walls, or the design of the spinning ring.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "That's…Trabia Garden."

They stared at the building for another moment, as it settled towards the ground. Late-morning sunlight gleamed off its ring, throwing patterns across the grounds and giving it an almost angelic look, and a draft of artificial wind blew over them.

"Hold on a second," said Mel. "Trabia Garden can _fly_?"

Nida shook his head. "I mean, I guess so. But…it's news to me."

"Heey!" Trabia Garden was still a good fifteen meters off the ground when a girl in familiar yellow overalls appeared, leaning out of the main doors on the lower level. "Is everyone okay? We came as fast as we could!


	35. The Oath

Headmaster Daniels had a sad smile on her face as she stepped forward to shake Cid's hand. "It's good to see you again," she said. "I wish the circumstances were better."

"So do I." Cid's clothes looked even more rumpled than Nida remembered, but his smile actually looked genuine. "Still, I'm glad to see your Garden is safe. Even if I'm a little surprised to see it sitting on my lawn."

Trabia Garden was just visible through the window, resting on the courtyard in front of the library as a crowd of students milled around it. Reflected light from its ring, which was spinning a bit more lazily now, danced over the walls and ceiling of Cid's office, giving the room a sort of underwater feel.

"Yes, I suppose I should explain that." Headmaster Daniels was a tall woman with greying hair and the straightest posture Nida had seen, but nothing about her looked severe. Indeed, Nida got the impression that she was the most personable of Garden's three headmasters. "I'll admit I was a bit shocked myself."

"I take it Selphie and Irvine managed to warn you in time," said Quistis. Between her, Xu, Rinoa, the rest of the Timber Team and a few Trabia Garden students who hadn't been introduced yet, Cid's cavernous office was almost starting to feel crowded; but so far, the others had been letting the two headmasters talk.

Selphie chose the moment to jump in, too. "I was really worried!" she said, hopping forward from where she'd been standing with the other T-Garden students. "It took a super long time to get across the ocean. But as soon as we got to Trabia, we rented a snowbike, and we made it to Garden in no time!"

Daniels nodded. "Selphie came racing straight over the bluffs. I suppose it's lucky I never managed to discourage her from that habit." She smiled for a brief moment. "Obviously, our first thought was evacuation. But Lank here had another idea."

One of the T-Garden students, a dark-haired kid in a well-worn uniform, nodded. "Every now and then, you'd find really old books in strange places. One of them had all these diagrams of what the building looked like before it got converted into Trabia Garden. It said there was this whole other level underground, and all the pictures called it a 'shelter.'"

"Of course," said Cid, a distant look passing over his face. "Before they were remodeled into the Gardens as we know them, these buildings were shelters during the time of the Centra. When we moved in, they had been abandoned for so long that I could never learn any details. But I always wondered how these structures had managed to pop up in places all over the world."

Daniels nodded. "Honestly, I expected it would just be some sort of bunker. But Lank thought there might be some sort of defensive mechanism, and Selphie insisted we take a look."

"It was kinda scary," Selphie added. "Plus it was really dark, and half the machines were frozen. I was worried we wouldn't get any of it to work in time."

"We were lucky," said another T-Garden kid, clad in black overalls and a green sweater with the sleeves rolled up. "Selphie had all this high-level magic, so we could melt the ice and jump-start the machinery. And when we did, it's like the whole place just came to life."

"That part was REALLY cool!" said Selphie, taking over the narration again. "We were on this platform with a bunch of controls, and the whole thing just started to rise! Next thing we knew, we were all standing in the Evaluation Room, and the whole Garden was transforming!"

"Selphie took the controls before we even knew what was happening," said Headmaster Daniels. "And a good thing, because the missiles arrived only moments later. If we'd remained where we were for a few more seconds…" She stopped herself. "Well, I don't need to explain that here."

"I wonder…" Cid was looking out his window again, either at Trabia Garden resting in the courtyard or the ruins of Balamb Garden all around it. "Could Balamb Garden have transformed as well? Might we have avoided this fate if we had been a little bit quicker?"

"There's probably no way of knowing." Daniels stepped up next to Cid. "Our equipment may have been preserved by Trabia's cold climate. There's no telling what condition yours would be in."

Cid nodded. "I just wish we'd had the chance to find out."

Nida felt like his mind still hadn't processed half of the information it had been given in the last half-hour. He'd gotten so used to thinking that all three Gardens had been lost, and just the revelation that one of them had not only survived, but could fly and was parked just outside the entrance, felt like it could take the better part of a week to get used to by itself. He hadn't thought much about Selphie and Irvine; and when he had, he'd assumed….

"Wait a minute," he said, surprising even himself. A second later, every eye in the room was on him, and he gulped. "That policeman, in Dollet. He said you two had been captured."

"Nope!" said Selphie. "They tried to get us when we were taking a boat, but I just turned the engine up to max, and we RACED out of there!"

"It was close," said Irvine. "They took some pretty good shots at us."

"They must have been talking about someone else," said Quistis.

The room was silent as that sunk in. The moment was broken when Rinoa jumped up from her seat, suddenly wide-eyed, and dashed out of the room without a word.

For a second after her exit, the others just stared. Then Xu frowned.

"We still have a few students unaccounted for," she said. "But from everything I've been able to learn, Fujin and Raijin never got back from Galbadia Garden."

The others looked at each other. "Oh," Quistis said.

* * *

Seifer didn't pack heavy. He had his gunblade, his maintenance kit, some travel food, and a pack with some potions and a tent. His charge card had just enough money for the train from Balamb, assuming it was running, though he hadn't decided whether or not to take one of the transport skiffs instead. Either way, it would be a long trip to reach the D-District prison, but he'd figure out the details on the way.

His first step was getting out the door. It helped that he hadn't really bothered to unpack, so all the gear he'd taken with him to Timber were still sitting on his desk. It was just a matter of making sure he remembered everything.

That was taking longer than it should. Seifer couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

When he'd left for Timber the first time, he hadn't had to think nearly this hard. Back then, he hadn't taken anything besides his gunblade and the train fare. He couldn't figure out what was making this time so different.

Except for just about everything.

Hell with it, he decided, grabbing his gear and fixing his gunblade to his belt. If he'd really forgot something, he'd figure it out on the way.

He made it as far as the dorm's common room, where Rinoa was waiting for him.

"I knew it!" She had her hands on her hips, and the imperious look that had probably convinced the Forest Owls to start calling her 'princess.' "You're about to run off on your own again, right? Were you even going to tell us first?"

Seifer forced himself to look away as quickly as possible. "I'm done wasting time here," he said, trying to step past her and escape down the hall. She just fell in beside him instead. "When that policemen told me they'd captured two kids from Garden, Instructor and Whatshisname decided to just run home, and I should've known better. They've held me back long enough."

"Seifer, just wait a second. The desert prison is a fortress. You can't just rush in without a plan."

"I'll figure something out!" he snapped. "I'm tired of sitting around! I'm not gonna waste any more time while Fujin and Raijin rot in jail!"

He'd made it a few more steps before he realized Rinoa had stopped. She was standing frozen in the middle of the hall, regarding him with a quizzical expression, and Seifer had managed to take all this in before he realized that now _he'd_ stopped, too.

And before he could do anything about it, Rinoa charged. "THAT's the Seifer I remember!" she exclaimed, and the next thing Seifer knew, her arms were around his neck and he had to stumble backwards to avoid getting knocked over. "I knew you were still in there somewhere!"

"?" Seifer's head tried to catch up with the conversation. "W—wait a minute…"

Rinoa stepped back, hands on her hips again. "Obviously we've gotta go save Fujin and Raijin. They're your friends, and we can't just leave them in a Galbadian prison. But just because you care doesn't mean you're in this alone. You've got friends here who are willing to help, if you'd just give them a chance." Her eyes shifted focus to something over his shoulder, in the direction of the main hall. "That's right, isn't it?"

"'Friends' is putting it a bit strongly." That was Trepe's voice; Seifer turned and saw her leading a small procession of kids up towards them. There was Zell, plus the two other SeeDs from this year's class — the tall kid and the Trabia girl — and the sniper from the Deling City mission. Trepe had that annoying tiny smile she got when she was trying to be your big sister. "But yes, I think that's absolutely right. We've spent enough time here, wallowing in our misery."

"Yeah, man!" Zell exclaimed. "I mean, Fujin and Raijin were always givin' me trouble 'cause of Disciplinary Committee stuff, but they're still our fellow students! We can't let Galbadia lock them away!"

"I know you like to take care of things by yourself," Rinoa said, stepping up beside him. "But we're in this together now. Seifer, you've always wanted a chance to make a difference, but that means what you do is going to affect a lot of other people. What I was doing in Timber, with the 'Forest Owls'…and everything that happened after we captured President Deling…and then the mission to assassinate the Sorceress…every choice we make is going to change the world around us. And that's why…we can't afford to be alone anymore."

Seifer set his jaw, since he couldn't seem to force a response through his head. He couldn't very well look away, but seeing Rinoa's eyes kept bringing back memories he didn't want — her waiting trapped in the attic of that house in Timber, diving into his fight with Trepe at the edge of the woods, or in Garden's infirmary covered in other people's blood.

"And think about it practically," Trepe said. "How are you going to get all the way to the desert, much less inside the prison? The Galbadians will probably be watching the ports, and there's no telling if the trains are even running? The trip could take days, even if you don't run into trouble." She folded her arms. "On the other hand, there's a flying academy parked in our yard that would probably get you there a lot faster."

Seifer really hadn't thought of that; his idea had been to take a boat to Dollet and then probably rent a car. He looked at the others, who all looked back at him, and realized his plan had already failed. The anger had completely faded away; but so had the haze that had seemed to hang over him ever since he'd seen those first missiles fire into the sky.

And when he looked back at Rinoa, something else occurred to him.

"You know," he said, "D-District is the Galbadians' facility for holding political prisoners. That means your father's probably locked up there, too."

She clearly hadn't been expecting _that_, and it set her back a bit. "I…suppose so," she said. "We've always had our differences, but…I never wanted him to be imprisoned. Especially not for trying to stop the Sorceress. Do you think we can get him out, too?"

Seifer wasn't sure if she'd set up the question on purpose, but he couldn't have planned it better. "Why the hell not?" he asked, and the grin almost came by itself. "I bet those Galbadians won't even know what hit them."

Around then, Seifer noticed that everyone was smiling at him. And not the sort of condescending too-polite-for-smirks that Trepe would get; instead, they all seemed…_friendly_. Happy, even. A second later, Seifer realized there was probably one on his face, too.

_Make a new dream, huh?_ he thought. _Well, I can work with this._


End file.
